


Uncharted Riptides

by jnnln



Category: Distant Shores (Visual Novel)
Genre: Age of Sail, Choices, Choices: Stories You Play - Freeform, Colonialism, Cover Art, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Golden Age of Piracy, M/M, Minor Violence, Multi, NSFW, Pirates, Pixelberry, Polyamory, Slavery, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:21:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 34,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25627393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jnnln/pseuds/jnnln
Summary: Update: Thanks to @dhazellouise, the story now has a stunning cover. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do <3.A sequel of Distant Shores by PB Choices. The original story and the characters belong to their rightful owners, the rest is mine. Taking off when the original game has left us. Time travel only as a trigger until we get Sam Bellamy (pun intended) back, which might not be so soon. Otherwise exploring the beautiful Caribbean at the dusk of the Pirate Golden Age. Edward/Oliver centered, but two other characters will get a chance to explore their complex relationship too.
Relationships: Edward Mortemer/Main Character (Distant Shores), Edward Mortemer/Oliver Cochrane/Main Character (Distant Shores), Oliver Cochrane/Edward Mortemer, Oliver Cochrane/Main Character (Distant Shores), Robert/Main Character (Distant Shores)
Comments: 199
Kudos: 24





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The rating changed (back) to Explicit. That means some chapters contain explicit sexual scenes. I add an additional warning note before such a chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: As that´s a story about characters having sex (among other things), at some point there are characters having sex with different partners. As the story is set up in the first half of the 18th century we are not talking about safe sex (I am worried less about potential pregnancy, more about STDs). So this is the only historical liberty I am going to take: I write under the assumption of relatively safe sex with no consequences. I am an advocate for safe sex in real life.

Cover by @dhazellouise

_Prologue_

The Intrepid entered the port of Tiburón under the soothing cover of the darkness. The thick, hot Caribbean night seemed unusually heavy tonight, the electric charge in the air, a hurricane waiting to happen.

The ship's crew docked along the empty pier seamlessly. Without making almost any sound, its members crossed the ship plank, disappearing quickly in the dark alleys, careful not to draw too much of the attention of their respective Captains.

After a couple of days of sailing towards the shore, the last thing anyone would wish for is to provoke an outburst of one of them. But to be honest, everyone was pretty much sure that facing one of these men's anger was inevitable. Every single member of this patchwork crew wanted to stay out of Edward and Oliver's sight, hoping for some comfort to deal with their shock and sadness.

After a long while, after the crew departed, the door to one of the captains' cabin opened, and a dark figure came out to the railing. Soon enough, the other, equally shadowed figure joined along.

"After you, Lieutenant," the only words sounded in the stillness of the night, while both of them descended from the ship. Like dark ghosts, they moved along the dock, heading firmly towards the tavern.

The news must have already reached the shores, as while they both entered, the noisy sound of drunken sailors suddenly stopped, only to return dropping half of their volume and turning into whispers. Edward approached the bar and with a low voice demanded:

"Bottle of rum, full. And two glasses. And your most private table now, Tilly".

Without any question, Tilly grabbed a bottle and two glasses and led them through the crowded tavern main hall to a secluded table in the corner. Seeing the sullen air around them, the current patrons of the table grabbed their drinks and left immediately.

Tilly filled in both glasses and put the opened Bottle of rum on the table.

"If you need anything, Edward, just…"

"I will, thank you, Tilly," Edward cut in her sentence with a menacing tone.

Tilly just raised her brows, but silently left, leaving both men only with themselves.

Oliver grabbed his glass, raised it, and was about to make a toast, while Edward cut in again:

"We don't have time for pleasantries, Lieutenant" he downed his glass and poured himself another one.

Oliver slowly nodded, taking a long drink. For a while, both men eyed each other, trying to figure out the sense of it all, at the same time, trying to judge their own, complicated relationship with each other.

"So. About your father. I guess it's not easy" Edward finally broke the silence.

"Well, it's not like you send your father flying across the void of time every day, after finding he is evil, and that he disowned you" Oliver let out a bitter half-laugh.

"You know, my father died when I was young, so for a bliss there, the Admiral was kind of half-father figure to me, along with my first captain. And then..." Edward weighted his words, but saying that out loud, to another man who could have understood him, felt quite right, though he was not ready to thoroughly revisit his painful past, after getting somewhat of closure just recently. "Not easy like I said."

The silence fell between them again. Edward downed another drink.

"I guess we don't have to talk about Sam, for now," Oliver finally broke the silence, grabbed the bottle of rum, and topped Edward's glass first, and then his own, just to empty half of it right ahead.

"Lieutenant," Edward barked out something remotely reminding laughter, "I am not discussing my love affairs with the British Navy. The question is to find out what happened, get Sam back, and then try to make sense of what we all want and solve it. All three of us".

"I find that acceptable", Oliver decided to cut this discussion short. He was still feeling intimidated by Edward, and he couldn't understand why. Years of his highly expensive, exclusive education in the Greenwich Naval College, social position, and high society cockiness suddenly got overshadowed by this sea tanned pirate captain.

"Now, let's see our options here" he suddenly resolved to take the lead of the conversation.

"We should go and seize the Admiral's ship; there are probably many documents and hints still on his ship that could result handy and get us some leads."

Edward's finished his rum, and stood up abruptly:

"Good plan, I will talk to Charlie and gather the crew, get your men ready Lieutenant" he made three steps towards the main hall of the tavern when stopped suddenly, and half turned back towards Oliver. "I assume you will not be returning to your old Navy job for a while, better handle that right," He paused. "We set sails at dawn."

Oliver gritted his teeth, and his eyes followed Edward moving toward the door. That was not going to be a painless alliance, but the pirate captain was right. He should find out convincing excuse and notify the Navy as soon as possible. He finished his drink, considering his options. Finally, after carefully deciding what his steps should be, he approached his officers sitting at another table:

"Doyle, get one man on the road, I need to send a message back to London, to the king," and looking over his faithful officers with concern and trust, "Get ready. We set sails at dawn".


	2. Prime Meridian

As soon as the first lights of the dawn broke through the darkness, the Intrepid caught the offshore wind in her sails and speeded over wrinkled waters towards the unknown.

Oliver joined Edward on the bridge, both looking towards the sun rising from the horizon ahead of them with concerned expressions. Calico, the parrot, landed abruptly on Edward's shoulder, craning her head curiously towards Oliver. Once a long moment passed, and the ship caught full speed in her unfolded sails, Edward sighed, not looking at Oliver.

"I don't think we need two captains at the helm, Lieutenant. I will be in my cabin".

Oliver nodded. He needed to be alone for a while too, and the crowded ship with a new pirate crew offered little space to be alone. A heavy presence of moody Edward weighted him especially. Absentmindedly he moved his hand over the wheel. His mind was still trying to wrap up the events of the last few weeks. Going after dangerous pirate crew and their cocky captain - a challenge he gladly accepted, eager to test his skills and knowledge, and earn himself some stories to entertain ladies with during high society Westminster balls and Greenwich summer parties.

After meeting someone who quickly became the first serious love of his life, he lost this person to time and maybe to another man in a blink of an eye. He was used to competing with other officers to win ladies' charms to kill time and boredom of education in the naval college, but suddenly now it turned out earnest. And above all, his competitor was a pirate, not a noble, and somehow, to Olivers` surprise, the class difference didn't seem to intimidate Edward at all.

Sam seemed to fancy Edward, and this made Oliver feel even more insecure. He and "insecure" in once sentence sounded like a joke. Pale memories of never serious amorous affairs with London's most attractive ladies seemed like belonging to another person now. He still couldn't fully comprehend why the heck Sam didn't end up as one of his many conquests, making him experience deep feelings and insatiable longing for the first time, instead.

Sam's voice, Sam's laugh, Sam's delicate scent. Suddenly all he could think about was holding Sam in his arms again, kissing brainless, his hands exploring Sam's perfect body. The thought that it might never happen again wrenched his heart.

He never felt so alone before. Even though his father was mostly absent, he was still his father, his closest relative and someone Oliver looked up to his whole life. The Admiral's omnipotent shadow hovered over his son's Navy career and opened doors to places and possibilities not many had. Not without a prize, though. Oliver was always first, always the best, always bold and brave. He had grown up feeling invincible, and the recent events questioned his self-esteem and power.

Somehow neither Sam nor Edward were intimidated by him being a navie. Although they didn't start their acquaintance well, he expected more hostility. Edward was still wary and adversarial, but definitely not an enemy anymore. All he did was looking down ironically on Olivers' high society conduct.

The feeling of losing his old life, after his father turned out to be a madman, who disowned him, and disappeared in the abyss of time travel got him again. Somehow Oliver knew, there was no turning back from this new path. Not that the future was so bright either, but at least the next goal was well defined: to find Sam.

* * *

In his cabin below the deck, Edward woke up from a tormented nap. He wasn't sleeping well from the Admiral's last confrontation and, at the same time, losing the only person who managed to get through to him. Many times the only way he could get some sleep was a solid dose of the Caribbean best rum, that would knock him down for a while, but it still wasn't enough.

He couldn't stop dreaming about it all, especially about Sam. Sometimes Sam's presence in those dreams felt so real that waking up alone after and reliving the loss made him desperate. In his dreams, they could touch and hug and kiss. Explore each other while having sex, feeling that Edward experienced so profoundly only just recently, after years of giving up on his romantic life and chasing the Admiral. How was he supposed to accept that void next to him in his bed? Was he only allowed to have a momentary bliss of happiness to taste it, and now return to darkness and despair?

Other times, the dreams were more surreal, it felt like chasing an invisible person hiding behind the veil, and every time it seemed he got closer, Sam disappeared, leaving him empty-handed, while he could hear remote laughter. There were scenes of the fight with the Admiral, him trying to slaughter the invincible, eternal enemy, who seemed to rise from the death any time you slew him. Somehow his son appeared in Edward's dreams too, chasing and fighting him. But also, and those dreams pained him the most, he dreamed about Oliver kissing and touching Sam, and Sam was smiling and kissing him back, and all Edward could do was to watch that scene from a distance, over and over again, without any power to stop them.

He felt tormented and tired, unable to get any comfort, neither awake nor in his dreams. Edward slowly sat up on the bed and rubbed his eyes. He wanted to feel alive again, the way Sam made him alive, wanted it all, and the brief promise of a life that he never imagined he could have, without giving out freedom and open waters. He finally wanted a real family on his own, an heir that would carry his and Sam's legacy.

He shook his hair from his eyes, grabbed a bottle of rum from beneath his bed and, breaking his own rules prohibiting alcohol consumption below the deck, he took a long drink. There was only one person he knew that shared at least part of his torment, and this person was currently giving orders to his own crew. He took a bottle with him and headed to the ship's deck.

Oliver turned his head, hearing a sound of someone appearing behind him.

"Lieutenant, I believe the sun is already over the yard-arm" Edward shouted to him, holding out the bottle of rum. He grabbed it, took a slow drink, and handed it back to Edward, who immediately slugged down a big gulp. Oliver hated this beverage. He always preferred ale over stronger spirits but could tolerate gin; rum, however, didn't really sit well with him. With Edward being over the edge and drowning his sorrow in rum for the last few days, Oliver had his fair share of rum, but it took quite a lot of his willpower to do that.

He took the bottle firmly out of Edward's hand and put it away.

"Captain, I have a better idea" he smirked.

He took off the top of his navy uniform, taking a dueling position and unsheathed his weapon. Edward didn't hesitate a moment, throwing off his jacket and shirt away, and positioned himself in front of Oliver. Their blades caught the sunlight, and the sound of crossed steel resonated over the deck of the Intrepid.

* * *

Oceans of time away, two figures were slowly climbing the steep ascent of Greenwich Park towards the Royal Observatory Greenwich and the Prime Meridian. The darkness of the evening was crawling, too, turning on London's remote lights ahead of them. Both sauntered, cautiously looking around, checking the surroundings for an unwanted audience. Luckily for them, rain and darkness emptied popular touristic locations that were their destination.

Sam turned to look at the stunning London skyline for the last time. The Old Royal Naval College, the Queen's House, and the National Maritime Museum widespread at the bottom of the hill, and immense skyscrapers of the financial Canary Wharf cut through the sky just over the Thames river, shining in the darkness. Tall masts of Cutty Sark divided the old and the modern. This was one of the most impressive views this city had to offer, blending and mixing British imperial history with modern, multicultural capital.

"A perfect metaphor of my life," thought Sam. Looking at the Cutty Sark had immediately brought back memories of Oliver and Edward, partly sweet, partly heart-wrenching. Sam couldn't help but worry about them, Edward, who had just got his hopes back, started making plans, began to dream again. And Oliver, who just went through hell with his father, her heart clenched at the thought of it.

"Not to bother you, but if you are done with your goodbyes to the modern world, maybe it is the highest time to start" dark-haired men cut suddenly into Sam's train of thought.

"Yeah, Robert, right, take out the compass and let us go home."

Robert carefully took out an object meticulously wrapped into a piece of cloth. Facing each other, they stood over the meridian, one foot on every side of the symbolic line. Robert unwrapped the compass.

"Ready... on three..."

When they counted until three and simultaneously touched glowing compass, the stream of white light blinded them and wrenched them through time to an unknown destination.


	3. Pret Allez

Bright Caribbean sunlight blinded Sam's eyes. The tropical heat, salty breeze in the air, and onshore wind enveloping the body felt familiar. Sam smiled.

"It's good to be back."

"Yeah, like hell, it is." A low male voice close by broke the silence. "Like hell, we are back, but I have no damn clue where we are. Literally."

Both started to look around desperately. Sandy beach, lazy surf breaking the turquoise water on the sandbanks, palm trees heavy with coconut fruits and seagulls singing their love songs in the sky above. A piece of paradise land. At the same time, there was no sign of any buildings, any ships, or any people.

"Well, oh well, it seems we are going to relive my Robinson Crusoe fantasies," Robert said ironically. "And it's all because you needed to play hero with the pathetic Edward and the rest of your friends, and close that portal."

Sam didn't know what to say and didn't want to answer. Robert continued his rant: "We are stranded, the devil knows where, and it might take months before we actually find civilization, our respective crews, and our ships."

Robert squinted his eyes and looked directly at Sam.

"And here I thought you actually had not one, but two reasons to stay in the past," he said with a snarky tone, "I admit I was impressed by the way you have Edward and the Admirals young son wrapped around your fingers, Sam. How resourceful of you. Wonder which one of them you choose in the end, or you just intend to fool around with both."

"That's not your damn business," Sam's chicks were burning red by now.

"Isn't it? Toying with your boyfriends must have clouded your judgment..."

"Seriously, Robert," Sam had enough of his accusations and was not going to allow it anymore and stopped him mid-sentence.

"Who was the one that made a deal with the Admiral causing all that mess? Who was the one who betrayed Edward and mutinied? Who stabbed Charlie, who somehow still treats you as a beloved father figure, in the back?! You..." Sam didn't think anymore and started speeding along a beach, needing to be alone.

"Wait, it's not the smartest move now..." Robert shouted so loud that some birds resting on the surrounding trees took off suddenly, filling the air with an unsettling cry.

"I don't care; just leave me alone."

Sam's voice broke down, close to crying, and at this moment, Robert, to his own surprise, realized maybe he was a bit too harsh.

Sam's sped towards the jungle's calming shadow, holding back the tears. The need to cry was overwhelming, though. Once in the safe distance from Robert's ears, the tears somehow started flowing by themselves, quickly turning into desperate sobbing. Memories flood over in a backward slow-motion: fighting with the most greedy men Sam ever met, being wrenched from the arms of most amazing men, back in time to the XXI century, the heartbreak.

Edward's despair that Sam had soaked into, loving this tragic, broken man from the very start. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel exactly when he had seen it for the first time, standing firmly by his side. Mixed feelings about Oliver, instant inexplicable attraction, the anger and betrayal he caused them. Then suddenly changing sides, becoming an ally and a lover at the same time. The memory of their first time with Oliver made Sam's shiver. Being on the same ship, in the same space, and even more critical pursuing the same goals with both Edward and Oliver made her feel strangely complete and peaceful—like all little pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell into place.

But then, there was also the guilt of leaving both of them without warning, and disappearing back into the future. And worry, above all the things, worry about what was happening with them being left alone. And on top of that, being stranded alone with Robert, the last person on earth, Sam would ever want to be alone with on a remote island.

A sudden noise drew Sam's attention, and Robert emerged from the bushes.

"Come, it's getting dark," Robert barked coldly. "I made a campfire and got us something to eat. We can spend a night here, and tomorrow start to explore the island. Sitting here and wallowing will not improve the situation ".

Sam was too tired to protest and slowly followed Robert towards the campfire. He suddenly turned, and with unexpected softer expression in his eyes added, "look, this situation is not ideal, but it seems we are stuck together, for now, so we better make it work for our own sake."

* * *

On the Intrepid's quarterdeck, the dashing pirate captain and the bold lieutenant were facing each other with their swords. They have been dueling each other for the whole afternoon, and their shirtless and tanned torsos were glistening with sweat now. Edward made a thrust, the point of his swords directed towards Oliver's face. Lieutenant parried the pirate’s attack gracefully, with a straight-up move of his hand, his blade tip pointing towards the right side and forearm straighten up.

"Impressive parry, Lieutenant," Edward was in a good mood, warmed up by fencing with Oliver. They turned out to be equal opponents, and after a couple of bouts, they caught each other rhythms, and every exchange made them look like dance-partners rehearsing dancing-routine.

"All these years in the naval college must be paying off."

Oliver used this moment to advance and deliver a blow. Edward deflected the point of Oliver's sword with the guard of his weapon and continued the attack of his own with a flashy move.

"Classy riposte Captain," Oliver's laughed. He was also in a good mood, it was surprisingly fun. And Edward was not drunk, and that counted as a significant win for him. When did he turn into the drinking guardian of the pirate captain?

They moved back to their En Garde position when a sharp whistle from the nest stopped them from continuing.

"Sail ho!" Kendrick hollered from above, and both men rushed to the starboard to have a look.

"Brace yourself, Lieutenant," warned Edward, "that's your father's men-o-war.


	4. Old Secrets

Oliver stood firmly at the helm and peered across the sea. Distance between the Intrepid and the Admiral's ship was closing rapidly, and he couldn't help the sinking feeling of insecurity again building in his stomach.

Edward and Charlie joined him. 

"Gentlemen, I hope you know what you are doing," said Charlie. "But if anything happens, we are here ready to attack" Her eyes swept over their pirate crew, ready for any action, and the officers loyal to Oliver now listening to her command. 

"We are going to request access to my father cabin as a part of the future investigation against him. Edward will go with me, as a privateer who was under his command and has information, as a witness", Oliver turned towards Edward "Are you ready to play your role, Captain."

Edward nodded, bracing himself visibly.

The Intrepid reached the man-o-war and maneuvered to position herself in the safe distance. Two ships sailed alongside, and Oliver waited carefully for a long moment until the temporary commanding officer of the man-o-war finally appeared on the deck. 

Both ships have lowered the rowing boats, and while Oliver and Edward had been approaching the bigger vessel, the latter asked:

"What with all the fancy maneuvers? Couldn't we have just boarded the ship like regular pirates. Much faster?"

"Captain, I would recommend more patience and conforming to the British Empire's Naval standards, which will make it easier to get the information we want."

Short, dark hair officer in charge of the Admiral's ship that met them, eyed them suspiciously. The officer held the rank of the sub-lieutenant, and Oliver barely outranked him, but the tension between them was of a different, more personal nature. 

"Officer Morgan! In the name of His Majesty the King, I request permission to come on board of the Admirals vessel!"

"Cochrane" somehow officer Morgan was not using the official Navy ranks, and it made Oliver's hand immediately wander to his hilt. Edward followed through, and Oliver felt the other' man shoulder brushing against his, as the pirate stepped in line with him, "and what for, if you mind to enlight me."

"There is an official Navy investigation planned, and we need documents from the Admiral's Cochrane office, as evidence. Captain Mortemer here agreed to testify, and he will help me find the evidence we need".

They had never been on friendly terms since Oliver seduced Morgan's fiancée and left her heartbroken and dishonored. A short affair, however, made the London high society gossip for more than a year. Oliver realized that something that didn't matter to him back then or now was going to bite him painfully in the ass.

Two men judged each other for a long moment. After consideration, Officer Morgan nodded and barked.

"Permission granted. But be fast, I don't want you on-board, not a moment longer than necessary. You are not welcome here, Cochrane". Oliver lowered his head towards Morgan but didn't say anything. He preferred the matter to be handled quickly as possible, and whatever reason Morgan might have had to let the feud between the two of them go were not important right now. 

When they boarded, other officers and sailors gathered close. Everybody in the Navy aware of the delicate condition of the relation between Oliver and Morgan was watching the turn of the events with growing anticipation. Edward, the only person clueless about Oliver's deeds and reputation, but highly intuitive, observed the whole situation with his eyebrows raised and sincere curiosity. 

Morgan and two other officers accompanied Oliver and Edward to the Admiral's cabins. Once they entered, Oliver looked at navy officers around him and said slowly:

"If you don't mind officers," he deliberately was not addressing Morgan only "these are highly confidential, sensitive matters of the Crown. And we don't know what we are going to find. Please leave us alone."

Morgan still stood there, without a move and intention to leave, and other officers watched him for orders. The tension in the cabin was almost visible, and every man kept his palms on their hilts, ready to react. 

"Damn that, gentlemen; we are talking about the man's father, grant us some privacy" to Oliver's surprise, Edward suddenly stepped in.

"Right then. But do it fast. And get out of _my ship!"_ Morgan hissed, leaving them alone, with his head's movement signalizing his officers to follow him out.

On the sound of the phrase "my ship," Oliver's blood boiled, blade half drawn out, but Edward's heavy hand dropped on his shoulder and stopped him last minute.

Once they were left alone, Edward raised his brows and asked with a smirk:

"So, Lieutenant. Care to elaborate on what that officer holds against you?"

Oliver choked, which cause Edward to raise his eyebrows again, with a grin.

"I see, personal matters," the pirate teased him further, and Oliver gritted his teeth.

"Not that it concern's you, Captain."

"Respectfully, but I disagree. We are on board of your father's ship under this good officer command, and he apparently holds a grudge against you" Edward looked directly at Oliver. "And I want to know why."

Oliver didn't expect Edward to be persistent in digging in the truth and was not in the mood to describe his former womanizer lifestyle to the man competing with him for Sam's feelings. 

"There might have been a woman involved," he growled.

"Now that's what I expected" Edward seemed to be content to get the information out of Oliver. "Prey tell, I am all ears, Lieutenant?!"

"If you must know, "Oliver barely held his anger together, "I had an affair with this man fiancée. A brief one, but it ended in heartbreak. Not my heartbreak."

Edward let the low whistle but suddenly turned serious.

"I couldn't help but notice Lieutenant, that Sam..." he paused, weighing up his words "that you seem to fancy Sam. Know this, if you cause any hurt or any pain to Sam...".

One more time, Edward's hand traveled to his hilt, and he indicated it to Oliver with the movement of his head.

"It will turn personal, Lieutenant."

"Captain," Oliver's eyes were burning with anger and shame "I assure you that I have earnest intentions towards Sam, and the last thing I will allow is for Sam to get hurt in any way."

Two men shared a very long look of mutual understanding.

The silence felt between them, as they searched through piles of documents, manuscripts bound in leather, and drawings that Admiral kept on his desk. Edward looked through some books on the shelves and folded maps. 

Oliver went through his father's letters. It was hard to imagine that it was all that was left from the life of this harsh and powerful man. Yes, there was gold, wealth everywhere, expensive fabrics, and furniture, yet it felt empty and distant. He stopped in front of his father's portrait on the wall, looking into this man's cold eyes, tight lips, and sharp jawline. Rare childhood memories Oliver had of the Admiral, mostly about endless fencing lessons, military strategy explanations, and high expectations his father voiced all the time. Oliver realized that his ambitions had been reflecting ones the Admiral had and not necessarily what he would want himself. But he was not sure what he wanted anymore, asking himself these questions repeatedly for the last couple of weeks. The only thing he was sure of were his feelings for Sam. He wanted to be a good, honorable man, for Sam, though he didn't know how to achieve that anymore.

Oliver felt pain in his chest, realizing he would never see his father again, yet to some extent, a relief that it was over, and he didn't have to deal with disowning anymore. That no one would ever question who he was. The only thing he needed to figure out now though, was who this real Oliver Cochrane was. 

"Lieutenant!!" he suddenly heard Edward's voice, "I believe we might have a clue."

Edward opened the folder of manuscript pages, bound together with a leather cover. There were pages and pages written in English. 

"That's my father's handwriting," exclaimed Oliver, quickly reading through them. "It looks like his memoirs."

There were also drawings: of the compass, some other artifacts, and maps of different isles of the Caribbean. Maps and pictures of one small island prevailed. 

Some pages were written in another language, looking like letters. Edward took some of those pages, scanning them with his eyes quickly.

"That's written in Spanish" he stated,

"You know Spanish?!" he asked, surprised.

"Aye, I am half Spaniard, or my father was of Spanish origin if you prefer, I was born in the Caribbean. But that doesn't matter now. I don't know who has written those letters, and to whom, and how the Admiral had them in his possession. But there seems to be a woman who can see the future and can communicate with the future at la Isla de la Tortuga".

"Then this is where I suppose we are heading next," stated Oliver. He grabbed the leather-bound folder with documents, some personal objects that belonged to the Admiral, and headed together with Edward towards the deck.


	5. Under the Caribbean Sun

Sam woke up to the brightness of the sun, shining directly over her head. She opened her eyes lazily, and the realization of the current situation slowly crept in on her.

Robert was no-where to be seen. Sam stood up and from the sheltered clearance where they spent the night, she stepped onto the beach. It was bathed in the rays of the midday sun, the one feet high waves crushing with a steady sets on beautiful sandbanks. And far, far away down the beach, a small figure of Robert, enjoying the surf and breaking waves to take a bath.

"Now that was unexpected," Sam smirked under the nose. Robert seemed to be genuinely enjoying the fun in the waves. Sam couldn't help but skim briefly from the afar over his compact, tanned body. Something boyish and free about this harsh man, being playful in these circumstances, provoked a gentle smile.

Sam took shoes off and strolled along the line, where the waves were washing over and meeting the sand, letting the whitewater gently caress the feet. There was something peaceful in enjoying the beauty of tropical beaches that only the Caribbean could offer.

Once getting close to the spot where Robert was taking a bath, Sam lifted a hand to shade her eyes from the sun and considered her options. The blue sea and the heat of the afternoon seemed like an open invitation to take a bath. Additionally, Sam's attention involuntarily wandered again to Robert's body, emerged in the salty water, and decided, slowly undressing, to join him.

This move didn't escape man's attention. Robert swore "Damnation!" to himself, but couldn't reverse his eyes from Sam's naked body at the shore, getting ready to join him in the waves. He admired long legs, flat abs, and delicious curves, and he was suddenly not able to stop himself from seeing specific heated images in his head. And he certainly didn't expect to think about Sam that way. 

"Copying my ideas, Sam?!" he shouted, "by all means help yourself. The water is excellent."

Sam was getting closer and closer to him in the water.  
"Robert, I admit, your idea was great, I don't mind copying you this one time" Sam laughed sincerely, shaking wet, blond hair, and the drops of salty water reached Robert's skin "I didn't know you were a fan of beach life, sun-tanning, and saltwater baths."

Sam's eyes skimmed over the breaking waves, expertly judging the surf.  
"I have to admit though, the sand break and the sets are sick, it would be great to have a board here."  
"Don't tell me you are a surfer" Robert sounded only a bit surprised.  
"Yeah, I am ... I was...."  
"Well, once we get the hell out of here and get our pirate life back, I promise that there are ways to make surfing happen."  
Sudden declaration Robert made caught them both by surprise. Sam's only smiled softly at him and decided not to continue the subject.

They enjoyed swimming in the waves without talking for a long while until both got tired. Robert was the first to get out of the water, to sink in in the sand, on the thin piece of land, as the high tide swallowed now the most of the beach. Sam joined him soon after, finding a seat next to Robert and digging toes in hot sand. They sat silently throughout the long while, enjoying the warmth, light, and salty air. 

Finally, Robert turned to Sam. His upper body tanned from the previous exposure to the sun, running his hand through his dark, thick hair, still dump from the bath. Black eyes pinned on Sam's body, unable to stop admiring it.

"So, now we are all relaxed, let us discuss options we have" he finally managed to turn his eyes from Sam's exposed curves. "We don't know where we are, and we don't know if this island is uninhabited. But my idea is that instead of staying here and playing castaways, waiting for an accidental rescue, we explore the island.

Sam just nodded. Definitely not a fan of staying here, and playing home with Robert, didn't matter, castaway household or not.

"We have two options, and we need to consider them carefully." Robert continued. "We could go explore towards the inside of the island, meaning we go through the jungle. There are advantages: we would stay in the shadows sheltered from the sun, have access to all the fruits and small animals, and probably find a more stable source of freshwater, better than coconut water we depend on now. But it is less probable that we would find a human settlement, much less probable than sticking to the coast. And we don't know what kind of big animals are inhabiting the island".  
Sam nodded, considering this option.

"The second option is to stick to the coast and walk close to the beach. It's a significantly longer option. And we would encounter the real freshwater only from time to time, relying on coconut water mostly. And the heat might be slowing us down. But for all I know, in the Caribbean, there is a higher chance to meet a human settlement of a considerable size being the port city, than a colony inside of the islands. So I would vote for sticking to the coast, but surprisingly, there are two of us, so I want to hear your opinion". Robert shot her a side look.

Her eyes studied him for a long moment. It was definitely impressive; he thought all that through. And especially, he, himself only, took all the burden of figuring out the solutions to their current circumstances. It didn't make him any less annoying, but it was thoughtful and well-planned, and Sam appreciated it. After a longer while, Sam broke the silence:

"Let's go along the coast; it makes more sense," Sam admitted.

"Very well," Robert agreed. "Let's go then."

When they start their long journey, the sun overhead was blinding, the air light but hot. They walked long afternoon hours along steep coastline trail, mostly in comfortable silence, with the exceptions of a couple of regenerating stops along the way. 

They had been walking all day in the tiring Caribbean heat. Once the sun was low, getting ready to sink over the horizon, Robert stopped abruptly. Sam shaded her eyes, and look the direction he was looking. Far, far over the island's cliffs, they could recognize tall masts of ships docked in the port, and the smoke going out of many chimneys, indicating port settlement.

"We won't make there before the dark," stated Robert, "let us advance a bit, make a camp, and continue our way there, so we can reach that place in the early morning."


	6. Windward Passage

The Intrepid was gliding lightly across the calm sea. The thin coastline of the island of Hispaniola was visible from the afar at her starboard. Using loose rigging rope, Edward gracefully rappeled down from the nest, landing a couple of feet from Oliver. He called for Charlie to joined them.

"We will be approaching the Windward passage soon. But let's drop the sails and wait, we will be sailing through the passage towards the Tortuga only when the darkness falls." 

Noting slightly surprised look at Oliver's face, Edward added. 

"Don't tell me, Lieutenant, that you are not familiar with the Windward passage's navigation. The winds blow towards the Atlantic during the night. During the day, we would be sailing upwind. Hence anybody who wants to travel to the North is doing that by night." He smirked. 

"Additionally, we need to strike the British jack down, Lieutenant, if we want to make port at la Tortuga. The island belongs to Frenchmen now, and you know better than me, that France is not your ally. We have better chances of entering during the night and flying black colors." Edward laughed, and Charlie joined him, "Especially with Charlie's contacts there."

Oliver didn't expect this turn of event. He was still surprised by his own decision to defy his father and his orders, along with deserting the Navy to ally with pirates for a noble cause. Taking down the British colors of the ship that still technically belonged to the Navy was another level of a challenge for him. And flying the pirate ones...

Charlie handed him a black piece of cloth.

"Just replace the jack or the pennant. I've seen you waving deceitful white flag already, that shouldn't be a problem, right?" Charlie smirked, Oliver swallowed hard, took the folded banner, and started walking to find his officers to order the changes. Edward's voice followed him:

"That's not the only adjustment you should make. We won't be wandering around the Tortuga with fully uniformed British officer tagging along. But I believe you already have the right clothes and some experience in pretending to be a pirate." Oliver's mind immediately wandered to the infamous night when he met Sam, turning his chicks slightly red under the tan. 

"Oh, and one last thing," Edward added, visibly enjoying the discomfort his comments are causing Oliver. "Let's drop the formalities in public,  _ Oliver _ ."

Oliver didn't say anything, but hearing the pirate addressing him by his name felt at least awkward. He quickly gave orders to replace the Intrepids colors with black ones and headed to his cabin to disguise himself as a pirate. Putting on the clothes he was wearing while meeting Sam for the first time, brought back memories. It felt weird, reminding himself of that situation, his goals back then, orders he had. With acute clarity, Sam's flashbacks from that night run through his head, his fascination, and finally, the realization of his own role. The chase, the fight, things he did just to get what he wanted. And then seeing Sam's despair when he hurt Edward, the anger and disappointment directed towards him. The way they kissed and touched when he allowed them to be imprisoned together. 

He still couldn't understand why Sam forgave him finally and had fallen for him. But regardless, Edward was still in the picture for Sam; many times, he had seen them sharing small gestures indicating intimacy, making Oliver confused. There was also a little voice of sincere doubt in his head. What if he had just thrown away his career just because he desired someone. Feelings he felt for Sam were new to him, and though they seemed earnest, there were short moments when he questioned his own motives.

Someone knocked loudly on the door of his cabin. 

"We are going through the passage now and in an hour or so we will turn towards the canal de la Tortuga. The view is quite handsome, maybe you don't wanna miss that." Charlie advised.

Oliver joined them at the helm soon enough. The truth was that sailing by night was peaceful as the waters were clear. The passage strait was quite narrow, and from the deck, they could see both at the port and the starboard sides, the distant lights from both Hispaniola's and Cuban shores. Way ahead of them, there were the open waters of the Atlantic ocean. The black jack was now flapping in the wind, and Oliver sighed. 

Edward was personally navigating the Intrepid towards the Canal de la Tortuga, and indeed the ship took the turn seamlessly. Oliver couldn't help but admire how comfortable Edward looked guiding the vessel through the complicated maneuver, letting the sails catch the side wind and speed into the canal. 

Then it appeared in front of them.

La Isla de la Tortuga. The shape of the land arose in front of them, not leaving any doubts of the name origin: it looked like a giant sea turtle. The island was extremely rocky, dark, high, and sharp shade accompanying them now on their port side. There was something magical about it, especially with an almost full moon shining in the night sky. The large trees growing where no soil was seen, their exposed roots lying directly on the rocks. High on the top of the mountain, the steep walls of the fortress could be seen. 

They were now sailing the narrow, 6 nautical miles wide waters between Hispaniola and La Tortuga, steadily approaching its port, Cayonne. The crew furled the sails, and the Intrepid quickly entered one of two channels for the ships traffic. The port seemed quiet and sleepy, and to Oliver, it seemed that it was caused by the fact they came in during the night. This was, however, far from the truth. 

They docked, and Charlie talked quietly to harbor officials for some time, to finally give them a signal to come on land. 

"Everything is fine, we would be good to spend here some days, almost no French soldiers are stationing on the island. And none of the big ships are here, neither are expected soon."

"Good," Edward nodded content to hear the information that no military force was stationed at Tortuga. It was predictable, as the years of Tortuga's glory were long but over, turning once the most powerful pirate capital back to farming and meat smoking settlement. Indeed, the smell of traditionally smoked meat saturated the hot and humid Tortuga air. Oliver coughed.

"Get used to this, Lieut... Oliver," Edward shot him a side glance, "old traditions tend to persevere, and we are going to experience some of the former buccaneers' lifestyle for sure on the island. And get ready for the climb". Both men's eyes turned up to the Fort, located at the top of the Mountain, the part of the island, where according to the documents they found in the Admiral's archive, the women they were looking for had their hide-out.

Charlie joined them, leaving the harbor official she was talking to quietly, behind. The three of them started the steep climbed towards the Fort. 

"Ah and welcome to a place where the Brethren of the Coast was born, maybe you will learn a thing or two about the true pirate life here, Oliver". 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don´t think I´ve ever seen a fanfiction that has referenced the actual bibliography. However, as being trained professionally to reference sources meticulously, it would literally kill me not to make any reference if relevant, especially that historical facts are a big part of this fanfiction and obv. I haven´t made them up (and I don´t use Wikipedia or random internet sides either).  
> I thought it would make sense to mention authors that I read and cross-checked for pirate information, and if I will feel that it´s needed I will reference the exact book. The same goes for my knowledge about Latin America and the Caribbean, it is too extensive to mention any source, but if I will feel it is needed I would do it.  
> For the authors about piracy and the Pirate Golden Age, I use and recommend Colin Woodard, Nigel Cawthorne, David Cordingly, Eric Jay Dolin, Benerson Little, and last but not least Captain Charles Johnson (aka. Daniel Defoe himself).


	7. Shadows of Tortuga Island

The road to the fort located on top of a hill overlooking the port was steep and covered with sandy loam, which made climbing the 30 feet high rock arduous and lengthy. The first part of the ascent was relatively easy, facilitated by a carved stairway that reached halfway through the hill. However, decades after the original fort was destroyed, stairs were weathered and dusted. The rest of the way that in Tortuga glory days could be climbed by using the ladders lowered from the top was nowadays more complicated and required some physical effort.

Oliver stopped for a moment, admiring the fortress's remainings, which must have been impregnable when constructed and kept in good condition: several terraces shaped into to hillside that offered space to station soldiers and cannons, crowned with the palace, storehouse, and another set of defensive spots. 

"That's inconquerable construction," he commented loudly, "the man who designed it might have been a great strategist."

"Aye, he was," Edward agreed, "he could be considered real buccaneer king. His name was Jean Le Vasseur. He was appointed by the French governor-general to keep the order on the island, protect it from British and Spanish who regularly raided it and control the pirate Brethren of the Coast. However, what he did instead was constructing this impressive fortification and turning la Tortuga in the pirating capital of the Caribbean. He allowed the Brethren to continue its activity, taking a percentage of all buccaneers' loot and quickly amassing a small fortune. Then he cut all of his ties with France, and during the next decade or so, he reigned over the island. From the fort up there," Edward turned his gaze towards the top of the hill, "he was able to hold his own not only against France and Spain but also anyone who ever wanted to threaten him."

Edward paused. After a while, he turned towards Oliver.

"But here comes a lesson, Oliver," Charlie giggled, knowing the tale and Edward's apparent intention. 

"You should always be careful, my friend who you lay your eyes and hands on." Edward paused again, trying to judge Oliver's reaction in the dark. The latter, however, remained silent, expecting the continuation of the story. 

"The tale has it, that Le Vasseur was killed by his own men, his two lieutenants. They had lured him out of the fort for some armory inspection. Then they attacked him, wounding him with a musket and finished him with their daggers. And Oliver, it was all because he had stolen a mistress from one of them and dishonored her." 

Edward ended his tale triumphantly and sped forward, cutting through tree branches that blocked his way, with his sword.

Oliver only let out a heavy puff in response. Charlie laughed sincerely.

"He doesn't make it easy on you, does he?" she turned to Oliver. "He will come around, eventually. But it will take a while."

Charlie's openness took Oliver by surprise. 

"You.. you are not taking Edward's side?"

"Ah, matters of the heart. It's never that simple. And while I may find Edward's attempts to torture you amusing," Charlie sighed lightheartedly and continued after a pause "if anyone's side I am taking in this situation, it would be Sam's. And Sam cares for both of you".

Way ahead of them, Edward turned and yelled. 

"Can you both hurry up ?! Its almost dawn".

Indeed, from the height they already climbed to, they could see shy rays of the rising sun. Oliver stopped Charlie and lowered his voice so Edward couldn't hear him from afar. 

"I appreciate you telling me this." 

"You are welcome, Oliver. But also don't judge him too harshly. He doesn't know all parlor tricks like you do if you know what I mean."

Oliver squeezed Charlie's arm to show his understanding. 

Edward watched their conversation waiting several feet above them. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he intuited correctly that they talked about Sam, and the romantic triangle they were in. He never managed to find the courage to speak with Charlie about the whole situation and was dying to know what she thought. Charlie treated him with care and sensitivity, respecting his boundaries, but he couldn't find the right words to simply ask her. Edward felt growing frustration, didn't know what to think and to feel. Finding ways to tease Oliver and to watch the other man uncomfortable was his way of releasing some tension, but watching Charlie comfort the navie made him feel really lost.

Impatiently he yelled once again:

"Are you coming or not?"

"Yes, we are, patience Edward," Charlie responded, climbing the steep path and fighting with the trees' branches blocking her way. Oliver followed through. 

The last stretch of the way was hard and almost perpendicular, so they climbed in silence, to save their breaths. Edward was the first to reach the flat area on the top of the hill, surrounded by remaining ruins of the original fort. He helped Charlie to reach their destination, and soon enough, Oliver joined them. For a moment, the three of them admired the view of the port, and the channel separated Tortuga from Hispaniola below them, and the rising sun far to the East. 

Then they started to look around. Any signs of human hamlets were nowhere to be seen. The ruins of all fort were surrounded by disordered tobacco plantations, looking more like random plants than intended cultivation. Everything was silent, birds slowly waking to the morning sun.

Edward walked around the ruins with growing frustration. Now they had made the trip to find out the source of information. It wasn't where it was supposed to be. He unsheathed his sword to blow off some steam, but Oliver stopped him with the gesture of his hand.

"Look," he pointed out towards the trees further up on the other side of the hill. Both Charlie and Edward followed the direction he was indicating. Above the trees' line, they could see almost sheer, a steady cloud of smoke.

When they moved closer, the characteristic smell of smoked meat was not leaving any doubt, they were approaching human settlement. Finally, they entered a small clearing between the trees, and have seen three black women smoking what seemed to be snakes body over the traditional smoking device - boucan. There were a lot of flowers, plants everywhere, but also remains of sacrificed animals, bones, and skulls. After a moment, Oliver realized that the smell was different, more intense than the one they felt in the harbor and that another scent he could distinguish was a smell of fresh blood. 

"These are _mambas,_ voodoo priestesses. Women who were slaves but were so scary that the slave owners let them be," Charlie whispered.

Women wore traditional clothes that seemed to be white, their hair tied high, covered with white scarves. The expressions of two older women were totally empty, absent. They seemed to be in some kind of trance. 

The youngest of them woke up at the presence of the newcomers. She raised up from where she was sitting and looked towards Charlie. 

"Charlotte. Te hemos estado esperando," the woman ignored the presence of Edward and Oliver. She directed herself to Charlie, reaching to touch her face and hand and dragging her towards the fire.

Edward stepped back, giving a signal to Oliver to follow him. He lowered his voice:

"This is about Charlie's mother. They were waiting for her. We will just give them time, and later we try to talk to them about Sam".


	8. Brethren

While they were waiting for Charlie's return, Edward was sitting on the ground with his back leaning at the Fort de Rocher's stone ruins. His eyes shut, but Oliver was not able to tell if he was sleeping or just resting, avoiding any conversation with him. However, things Edward kept mentioning about the pirate community that used to reside on the Tortuga made him curious, and they had anyway time to kill. He decided to ask the pirate about them.

"Edward, are you awake?" He broke the silence.

"Yhm..." Edward growled but Oliver decided to continue anyway.

"The Brethren of the Coast, that you keep mentioning... do they still exist?"

"I thought that great pirate exterminators get lessons on pirate story?!"

Oliver didn't respond, waiting for Edward's to continue if he wanted to.

"Well. Then let us start from the beginning. You know that first pirates were usually sailors who deserted any of the navies as they didn't want to be treated as harshly as you do treat simple manpower."

Oliver scowled.

"Maybe _you_ don't. But don't tell me that you are not aware of what kind of life awaits simple men on board of British Navy ships, including your father's. Anyway, add to this escaped prisoners and slaves, or indigenous enslaved inhabitants, if they managed to survive. Men mostly. These men had formed bands of six or eight, lived together, hunted together, pillaged, and plundered together.

Edward made a pause, shooting a side look at Oliver, to judge a reaction to what he was about to say. 

"They shared all they had, including sharing their bodies with each other, they lived as couples, if you know what I mean."

Oliver nodded, wondering if this was another way for the pirate to make him uncomfortable. 

"They were called matelots. During that time, they were not many women except for the native ones on the islands. But when they started to come, well some governors had illustrious ideas of bringing women in bigger groups, the men tend to share one woman too if one of them get married." Edward turned his head to look directly into Oliver's eyes. 

"Captain, not sure if any of this has to do anything with my question..."

"You have to understand that pirates, or how they were called buccaneers during that period, were not random crews. They become families. They worked together as only that way, they were able to survive. Their ships were smaller than what we are used to but highly maneuverable in the Windward passage. But the essential difference between pirates and the navy or merchant crews you are used to is that their relations are not forced, but voluntarily and agreed".

Edward considered now surprised look on Oliver's face. 

"Don't tell me you didn't know that. Brethren of the Coast was founded as the buccaneers agreed to follow a code called Custom of the Coast. Sometimes called the Articles, sometimes the Code, that functions in various pirate communities until today, and is a tradition we all inherited from the Brethren, even if it moved from Tortuga to different ports. All pirates make decisions democratically, including electing their captains and quartermasters".

"You didn't know that either," Edward smirked, shaking his head. "Yes, I was democratically chosen to lead my crew and not appointed as the superior officer as you or your father." 

"Aye, that's new information for me," Oliver slowly nodded, still processing what he just heard. It turned out that pirates, so hated by his father, were governed differently, similar to what he had learned during his studies about ancient Greece and philosophers he read. 

"You know Oliver; we tend to _agree_ on how we split our spoils. We also keep an emergency fund if someone gets wounded during our actions, depending on how serious and permanent it might be. We take care of each other," Edward paused. "you should talk to Charlie about it if you are interested."

Silence fell between them, and each man came back to his own thoughts. Edward closed his eyes again and looked like taking a nap. Oliver's head, however, spun with all he just heard. Since meeting Sam, Edward, and the crew, the picture he had about pirates and pirate life changed 100%, contradicting the hateful image constructed by his father. The more information he had, the wider his eyes opened to the truth of injustices committed by the Navy, not only to their enemies, like Spanish but also to pirates, privateers, and British crews. And the last thing he would have thought about pirates was their democratic organization and honor with which they would follow their Code. 

* * *

Deep in his thoughts, he realized he didn't notice the passage of time, and suddenly Charlie appeared in front of them. Edward opened his eyes, yawned, and stood up to talk to her. She looked tired, her eyes red like she had cried a lot, but at the same time, she was peaceful. 

"You both can go see them now. They know who you are looking for," she whispered with a weak voice when Edward protectively squeezed her arm.

Oliver stood up, and hand in hand with Edward, they approached the light of the fire and the magic women around them. Only the youngest woman paid any attention to them; the older ones were still deep in trance, chanting, one of them drumming syncopated rhythm on some instrument, Oliver was not able to recognize. The air was humid and hot, full of suffocating smoke, the smell of flowers and incense, and above all, the sweet scent of fresh blood and rotten animal corpses. Oliver felt his head started to spin, and his stomach flipped. There were some big leaves in front of them on the ground, and symbols, he didn't understand, drawn with cornmeal. His head was pounding, with a rising pulse of the instrument's beat, and he felt like it was more and more difficult for him to catch a breath. The youngest woman handed them a bottle of rum, Edward taking a drink first, handing it over to Oliver. Once he put the bottle to his lips, nausea suddenly came over him, and it took all his will to control it. The drops of sweat were trickling down his spine, and his vision became blurry. 

The woman took the bottle from him and poured the rest on the ground to honor the spirits, adding the smell of alcohol to stifler air. Oliver's stomach clenched again, and he felt like his knees begun to tremble. The woman took a drink from a shallow bowl and passed it to him, and when he lowered his head to take a sip, the smell of dark, thick blood overwhelmed him. His vision again went blurry, his head suddenly heavy, and he felt like falling into the darkness rapidly surrounding him, although the day was still bright. His body collapsed, and with the rest of his disappearing conscience, he felt Edward's arms catching him and gently protecting his head from taking a hit. 

* * *

_The darkness was suddenly turned into blinding sunlight. Oliver felt the salty air around him and heard the busy noise of a big harbour. Tall masts of different ships were taking berth along the pier. Buildings in front of him were colorful and seemed familiar, although visibly destroyed by natural disasters. He looked around, and in the distance, he had seen the military fort, that he would recognize everywhere: Fort Charles. Suddenly, he had heard laughter behind him, laugh that made his heart beat faster. Sam. He turned rapidly, only to see Sam's blond hair disappearing in the crowd of narrow streets of the seaport city. He tried to follow her, but the darkness overwhelmed him again._

* * *

Charlie and Edward were sitting on one of the Tortuga beaches, admiring the contrast between almost white sand and the turquoise waters. Oliver's unconscious body was sheltered from the sun and wind nearby. 

"So it's decided then," Edward whispered to Charlie "you leave us here, and go find your mother on Spanish part of Hispaniola. You sure you don't want us to make a port on the way and drop you off somewhere on the coast?"

Charlie shook her head energetically,

"No, I will be fine, it's easier to get to the Spanish part from here. And besides, you don't need any more delays."

Edward´s arm circled Charlie's shoulder.

"I know you have to do that, but we are still going to miss you."

Charlie laughed.

"I think you have found a great replacement for me," She pointed her head towards Oliver "once you give him a chance."

"You think so? What will happen once we find Sam?" Edward raised his brows hesitantly. "She will have to choose eventually, right?"

Charlie gave her friend a long knowing look.

"Edward, no one has said there is a need to choose. Love can be complicated, but there is no need to share or force choices that no one wants to make. And there is no limit to one's love Edward, and you will learn that I hope. Even if Sam cares for both of you, and I know she does, it doesn't mean she cares less for any of you, or that her feelings are divided in two. Different for each of you, probably, yes. But you don't need to be scared that much. Just trust your feelings and trust her."

Edward sighed.

At this exact moment, Oliver's body started to move, so they rushed towards him. He slowly opened his eyes and looked on concerned faces inclined towards him. 

"You have had your first voodoo trance Oliver. Who would have thought?" Charlie joked. "The mambas are convinced that you have some magic affinity."

"Now, if you are feeling better, I believe we need to start moving. We have to get Sam; we know where she is".

Oliver was still weak but whispered:

"Yes, I think I have seen her too. I've had a vision of Port Royal".


	9. The Wickedest City on Earth

Sam was trying to keep pace with Robert racing through narrow sandy alleys of Port Royal.

"Sam, dammit, move faster," he hissed. "We don't want to have a run-in with the Navy."

Once a thriving commercial center of the Caribbean and the pirates' sanctuary, Port Royal was still recovering after a powerful earthquake and the following tsunami that took two-thirds of it underwater in 1692. After a couple of decades, remaining buildings were fading memory of the city's former bustling atmosphere and wild reputation, once swarming with pirates, adventurers, and merchants of different nationalities, and now visited by rarely anybody except for the Navy sailors. Many buildings once hosting taverns, grogshops, gambling dens, and brothels were emptied and ruined. The ghosts of thousands killed and ships sunken by the disasters, resting now underwater, preserved by the salty ocean, were still everywhere.

While many of the remaining survivors moved to the other side of the harbor and founded a new settlement called Kingston, British Royal Navy, once limited to their forts and restrained due to the city's motley nature, was now everywhere. Port Royal dockyard and the wharf still served as the base of all Navy Caribbean operations under the command of the resident Naval Officer. The dockyard and Fort Charles, the only one of the forts that survived the disasters were already fully functional, although other buildings were still under construction. That didn't prevent several ships from stationing there already, and streets, several remaining taverns, and brothels were overflown by Navy blue-uniformed men seeking entertainment.

Since Sam and Robert discovered that the place they were sent to was Port Royal - a naval headquarters, populated mostly by soldiers of different ranks, Robert was always on edge. They mostly tried to hide, using his old contacts to secure a shelter, small, crampy room in one of the few still operating inns. He was able to recover some of his hidden spoils, but it was not enough to try to organize the departure to any of the safer destinations and look for their original crews.

Robert was trying to locate the _Damnation_ and his crew, visiting different establishments run by private owners. Still, it was not an easy task as all were crowding with the stationing Navy. As neither Robert nor Sam didn't exactly look like British sailors, they were drawing unnecessary attention to themselves while they moved around. On the other hand, they were trying to look for some way to lay their hand on more gold or silver. The gambling options were limited for them (but possible to some extend), and just two of them were too little of a crew to commit any act of piracy, especially in the city populated by soldiers.

Sam suspected that Robert must have had a bounty placed on his head, but he never really admitted it. However, he categorically dismissed the idea of locating Oliver through the Navy, that was swarming around, as too risky. Their conversations often ended with confrontations and yelling, and most of the time, they tried to keep it to a minimum to remain civil, though Robert kept blaming Sam for the situation they were in, and voiced it from time to time. As their future still looked dim, the tension between them grew stronger with every passing day.

They were hurrying to get to a brothel, owned by Robert's old acquaintance, where all harlots seemed to know him well. That gave them the possibility to get food, and a drink, and finally a private space to spend their evening. As one of a very few brothels in Port Royal, the place was packed as every night, but they managed to sneak through the back entrance and found themselves inside the establishment, although hidden from most guests. The owner passed them some chicken jerk and a bottle of rum. Robert took a long drink first, not paying any attention to Sam.

"I swear that this damn city is cursed. And we are part of its curse now," he barked. Sam took a drink of rum, too.

"Oh come on Robert, you could stop your whining for once" she snapped.

Robert was almost ready for a snarky response when one of the establishment's prostitute joined them, taking a seat next to Robert. Her intention was apparent both to Sam, who just smirked with a surprise, and Robert, who huffed, visibly not in the mood. The woman bent towards him, making sure he could see her cleavage, and run her fingers all over his thigh. Robert grabbed her hand and put it away.

"Not tonight," he was getting angry and somehow couldn't explain the reason why. The prostitute pouted in a pretentiously sad, but a flirty way.

"Nooo, you are breaking my heart, cariño. We used to have so much fun together," her voice turned into a sexy whisper "What will I do tonight without my Portorican lover." Her hand was seductively climbing up Robert's arm.

"That's not my concern. I thought I made myself clear," He snapped angrily. "Leave us alone, finally."

The woman gave up, standing up abruptly and heading towards the main brothel hall. She turned back to him, and as a good-bye, she hissed:

"Your loss, Robert. Good luck with the one you have eyes for now."

Robert's black eyes were burning with anger, but his voice was controlled when he turned back to Sam.

"Ignore it; we are in a whorehouse; obviously, these things happen."

"I didn't take you for a frequent patron of whorehouses" Sam cocked her head and went on teasing him, "but I see, I was wrong, maybe it makes sense after all."

"My, ehem, romantic life is none of your concern," Robert barked.

There was something about Sam that managed to make his blood boil, and he couldn't quite explain why she was making him so angry and passionate.

"No... all things considered, I didn't take you for someone who would be paying for... sex".

"And here you go judging again. Have you ever considered, Sam, that this would be the only way these women survive," Robert's dark eyes were glowing dangerously, and he leaned into Sam, grabbed her wrist, and squeezed it tightly "Don't imply something you have no idea about."

Sam couldn't deny that Robert's sudden passion and realization of his motives were somehow attractive. Though soon enough, she shook that nudging thought. They got interrupted again, this time by the owner of the brothel. A slightly older woman joined them.

"I have heard you are not making my girls happy; they were complaining."

Sam raised her brows, it definitely wasn't the first time Robert had visited this place, but it was the first time he took her with him. He tensed on this accusation, but the woman dismissed his worries with a move of a hand.

"We have known each other for a very long time, Robert. And I can tell you are not in the best place. Unfortunately, I don't have any good news for you; we don't have any information about your crew."

"Tis' could only mean one thing" Robert seemed disappointed but not surprised. "If you haven't heard of them here in Jamaica, the news only travels so far, so they have to be up to the North, like in the Bahamas."

The owner nodded. 

"Your logic, Robert is always considerate. But if you are finished with your food," the woman gave a small nod towards almost empty dishes "better just go and take the bottle with you. And I don't know what happened to you", she winked, "but you are losing your reputation as an insatiable lover among Port Royal finest ladies."

Robert stood up abruptly without saying anything. Sam didn't need another clue to follow him. The salty, humid wind from the harbour enveloped them outside. Robert didn't say anything; he took a big swig from the bottle and passed it to Sam silently. They walked now through the part of the oceanside boulevard that was spared by natural disasters, quietly passing the bottle from one to another. Sam felt like the strong drink is starting to get into her head.

They stopped for a moment, watching the contours of Fort Charles in the darkness, both of them sharing the unspoken feeling that they needed a miracle to get back to their ships and people. Suddenly, they heard approaching voices, and the group of Navy officers appeared on the corner in front of them.

"Damnation," Robert cursed, and not thinking much, grabbed Sam´s arm, and pulled her into the nearest ruined building. They waited in silence until the echo caused by steps and drunken British voices disappeared. They exchanged glances. Their faces were close enough to feel each other rugged, rum-scented breaths, and sense the heat of their bodies. Robert burning, almost black eyes, studied Sam's face with an inscrutable expression for a long while. Unexpectedly, he grumbled, "You...,”grabbed the back of Sam's head and pulled her in for a kiss.

When his lips crashed into hers, Sam instinctively pushed him away. Her eyes judged him, but her body suddenly felt the inexplicable desire for his, mixing their hate towards each other with curiosity and inspiration. Her hand grabbed the collar of his leather jacket and pulled him back in, kissing him urgently. Their kiss was aggressive and passionate, and their tongues were fighting their own battle with each other. Sam tangled her hands in Robert's black, thick hair, and his hands squeezed her hips hard. She moaned and paused the kissing. There was something so stimulating in their pent-up mutual hostility now turned into pure passion. She knew he needed to take her, and she needed him to do it right away.

"Let's hurry back to the inn," she purred.

Once they got in, Robert pushed Sam into the wall, and she pulled his body into hers. She could feel how hard he was under his pants and knew nothing would hold them back now.

"That doesn't mean anything," she moaned. Robert just smirked mischievously, his body pinning Sam's to the wall even harder, his hands finding his way under her clothes.


	10. Breaking Tides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating changed to Explicit. (Chapter contains explicit content)
> 
> Or.... you might never look at Robert the same way again.

Robert's hands went up the sides below Sam's shirt, gripped her waist tightly, and pulled her hips into his. She could feel his touch on her naked body, while one of his legs settled between her thighs. Her lips met his roughly, but then she pulled back, her hands grabbed his slicked-black hair and looked with a challenge into his deep black eyes. The usual mischief and the hostility were now tinted with lust, with a promise of pleasure. The shameless way he returned back her look sent shivers down her spine.

Not breaking the eye contact, his hands traveled further up, to caress her breasts, exploring. His fingers grazed her nipples, causing her to instinctively lean into his touch, he didn't stop stroking her chest, squeezing her breasts tightly, until he heard her moan his name. 

"Robert..." She pulled him closer, digging her fingernails into his back. Robert growled, consuming her mouth with his kisses. His hands finally traveled over her sides to her back, to her bottom, cupping her ass, squeezing it gently first, sliding to explore the curves, running his fingers through the line between them. Then grabbing her ass with more strength and passion, spreading it apart, holding her even closer to his groin, making her rock against him.

Sam frantically pulled his leather jacket aside and impatiently pushed his shirt up over his head. His skin was olive and smooth, a golden chain around his neck flickered in the dim light of the room. Observing his reactions, she ran her hands over his bare chest, tracing her fingers over the thin black hair pattern from his nipples, down his stomach, to his waist. Her hand slid below his belt-buckle, wrapping her fingers around his hardened shaft. She smirked when Robert's breath caught in his throat when she did that. She started stroking him gently, almost feather-like touch first, then gradually adding more pressure and more speed, until Robert couldn't take it anymore.

He growled and grabbed her wrists, pinning them above her head against the wall. Their tongues fought for domination again, and Robert pushed harder into Sam's body, positioning himself in between her spread thighs. His hands went under her clothes again, tugging them up and over her head, tossing them aside. Her hips instinctively worked against his legs, then ground against hand, he slipped below her waistband, pulling her trousers and underwear down with one smooth move. 

He pulled out for a moment to take her all in. His gaze slid over Sam's exposed breasts, nipples darkened with excitement, smooth skin around her navel, and pubic mound covered with subtle hair pattern.  
"God, you're fucking sexy," he growled. 

His hands started to explore slowly every inch of her naked body. The tantalizing feel of his fingers caressing her skin made Sam's nipples harden when his hands brushed over them. Her breathing sped when his hand slipped in between her thighs to tease her. They were kissing and biting urgently again, their bare chests pressed together, the chain on Robert's chest sliding in between Sam's breast, adding stimulating frictions. His fingers moved harder and faster, making her moan uncontrollably. 

"I can't wait any longer," she gasped in his ear, "I want you to fuck me until neither of us can stand anymore." 

Robert groaned. This was the signal he was waiting for. He spun Sam to press her body hard against the wall, her breasts throbbing against the hardwood. She arched her back into him, pressing her ass into his hips. His hands tighten around her waist, the flat of his taut abs pressing against her back. Robert ground his groin against her, and Sam could feel his cock's powerful erection searching for an entrance between her tighs. 

Robert grabbed her hips, squeezing them and pushing them apart, making her legs spread enough to slide his cock inside her. Sam shivered and moaned loudly when she felt his powerful thrust. She pushed her hips back into his, bending slightly to let him penetrate her even deeper.   
He sped up, pressing her body with all his weight into the wall, his hands propped on both sides of her head, while his hips kept slamming against hers, faster and faster. 

Robert pushed into her harder and faster with every thrust, his breaths came in short bursts. He was close, and so was Sam. The golden chain on his neck was rubbing against her back, leaving painful marks, but she was so entangled into pleasurable tension building up in her belly, that she didn't care, she was no longer controlling herself. 

She cried out loud as her body shook itself violently with the overwhelming pleasure. Feeling her clenched around his girth, Robert rested his forehead between her shoulder blades, and with final powerful thrusts, he came close behind her. He collapsed against her back, his skin warm and slick with sweat. They stayed locked tightly for a long moment, unable to move, steading their trembling bodies, gasping for air. 

When they finally composed themselves after their shared moment of passion, starting to collect their tossed out clothes, Sam looked at Robert:  
"That was just sex. Forget it ever happened".   
Robert smirked, fastening his belt-buckle, and winked at her:  
"Aye, that was just sex. But no way I will ever forget about it.

* * *

  
  
The Intrepid was yawing, struggling against the gnarly waves, and the Windward Passage's adverse winds. Edward was at the helm, yelling short, precise orders to the crew, putting the ship through the tight series of maneuvers, to pass the rough sea at the entrance to the passage. 

Oliver had already seen his fair share of Edward skills in running the ship, yet every time he witnessed this masterful spectacle, he couldn't prevent the need to compare himself to the pirate captain, admiring this man who got his skills by years of practice, on the contrary to his own, academic knowledge. Oliver sighed, wondering if he would ever stop feeling intimidated by Edward. 

After more than an hour of a battle with the rough sea, the Intrepid finally sailed into calmer waters, catching a favorable wind in her sails. As nothing indicated more complications on their way, Oliver contemplated retreating to his cabin to take a moment to himself. He headed below the deck, once a sharp whistle and a shout "Sail ho!" from the nest stopped him.

He rushed to Edward, who was already observing the ship appearing at the horizon, through the telescope.   
"She's flying Spanish colors," he commented to approaching Oliver, passing him the telescope "It looks like we got ourselves a slave ship."  
He smirked.  
"Wanna earn some pirate experience, Lieutenant?"  
Oliver just looked over the flapping black jack above their heads and smirked to himself.


	11. Her black colors flying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter refers to the Atlantic slave trade. It contains some description of conditions on board of slave ships (I don´t really know how to tag it properly, if someone knows, I would appreciate suggestions).
> 
> Oliver´s First Mate: I deliberately have changed his name from Alvarez (if you want to put a face and a name to the character) to Aldridge. Don´t even get me started on the fact that someone in PB thought it is a good idea to put Spanish high ranking officer on British Royal Navy Ship in 18th century.
> 
> I try to keep maritime/naval descriptions to a minimum, mostly due to limitations of the original book. The ship like the Intrepid (I have chosen the smallest option, a non-rated sloop-of-war, but from the pic in the original book, she might have been as well a 6th or 5th rate frigate) would have around of 100-150 people crew, and around dozen of high ranking officers. Pirate crews were even more numerous. That makes writing big naval scenes a bit complex, as the original setting limited information we got on crews on those ships).
> 
> This chapter special mention goes to the International Slavery Museum https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/international-slavery-museum and Royal Museum Greenwich https://www.rmg.co.uk, as invaluable sources of information on Royal Navy and slavery.

Oliver looked again in the direction of the Spanish slave galley at the horizon and nodded to Edward.

The pirate moved to give orders to his crew, and Oliver, still wearing his pirate disguise, motioned on his officers, Aldridge and Doyle, to come closer.   
"Gentlemen, we are proceeding to attack this Spanish slave-trade vessel" he looked at concerned faces of his First Mate and Master of Arms. "You don't have to participate if you don't want to."  
"Sir..."  
"What is it, Mr. Aldridge?" he looked with attention at his First Mate.  
"Are we sure it's not going to end in a bloodbath. They are pirates, after all." His First Mate sounded concerned.  
"I trust their captain," he surprised himself by saying that out loud, but it was the truth. Somehow he trusted Edward would not kill anybody lightly and that raiding the slave ship was an act of mercy rather than greed and cruelty.   
"This is still Spanish vessel, and we could have attacked her under our Navy colors" technically, that wasn't even a lie. However, old Oliver was never bothered to attack Spanish and French merchant ships; he was focused on chasing pirates.

The Intrepid was designed especially for the pirate hunt, just like Oliver wanted. As a small and nimble sloop-of-war, she had an advantage over officially rated ships in maneuvering the capricious weather and narrow passages between the Caribbean islands, yet still was capable of most of the chores undertaken by frigates. She was equipped with decent amounts of guns but was also armed with a short type of carronades, enabling powerful punch at close range. She was perfect for her designation, and Oliver was really proud of her, he loved her. He also noticed the spark of admiration in Edward's eyes and the pirate's almost boyish joy when he got to command her.   
The ship was also perfect for the raid they were going to make. 

"Mr. Doyle, what are your thoughts?" Oliver turned to his Master of Arms.  
"This will be a pretty easy maneuver, we can get close enough to fire a broadside, and then get even closer to fire short-arms. This would give the boarding pirates an excellent opening for the abordage," Doyle assessed professionally, but then hesitated "Are you thinking of joining the pirates, Lieutenant?"  
"Aye. I do. I will go on board, Mr. Doyle. But don't worry," Oliver sounded convincing, but Doyle only sighed doubtfully, exchanging preoccupied glances with Aldridge.

* * *

In a couple of hours, they approached the slave vessel, even though the Spanish captain, faithful to his duty, tried to protect his cargo and flee them. But with a sloop-of-war like the Intrepid, there was no chance that a harder to maneuver, clumsy ship would ever escape. Soon, they closed the distance, positioning themselves alongside the slave ship. 

Under Officer Doyle's command, the Intrepid's broadside blazed, causing some damage to the Spanish vessel, giving the boarding party led by Edward an opening. They proceeded, a couple of grappling hooks had been thrown towards the deck, and the two ships had been tied together. The attacking pirates had been climbing over to fight the Spanish crew, Edward and Oliver, swang from the rigging, landing swiftly on the deck, couple of feet away from each other.

"Look for some high ranking sailors," the pirate barked in his direction "We should end any fight as soon as possible."   
Indeed, the fight was soon over, most sailors from the underpaid and exhausted after Atlantic travel crew were yielding without a fight. That was what Edward expected: many simple seamen would give in to the pirates with a hope to be able to join them and gain a better life-conditions onboard of pirate vessels. However, recruiting a new crew was the last thing Edward would have considered in the current circumstances.

Oliver was still clashing weapons with a sailor, apparently a second or a third mate, but he was the last one. The Spanish ship captain surrounded himself already to Edwards sword pointed at his throat.  
"Lieutenant, I know it's been a while you have been in a real sword fight. But stop fooling around, we have a job to do," the pirate captain yelled in his direction. 

Oliver gritted his teeth. It's not like he didn't try to end it faster, the Spanish mate seemed to be quite literate in fencing. Edward's command made him angry enough, but he concentrated and, after several fast blows, managed to point his sword at his opponent's throat and led him back to the quarterdeck, where the rest of the Spanish crew had been gathered. 

Edward rapidly ordered the Spanish captain to strike the ship's colors down but didn't even wait until it was done.  
"Maggie, Kendrick... Oliver, come with me to the lower deck," he barked orders, "Ginny, stay here with Ax and Ada."

When they were making the way below deck, Edward directed himself quietly to Oliver:  
"Have you ever seen the slave cargo on board of the ship?" Edward's question was deliberate, trying to judge if he needed to prepare Oliver for what they would encounter down there.   
Oliver has seen his fair share of slave auctions and was not a stranger to the terrible conditions slaves could be kept in but was never below the deck of a ship transporting them.   
He shook his head. Edward put a hand on his shoulder unexpectedly.  
"Then prepare yourself to see hell on earth."

  
"Oh god..." Oliver involuntarily let out a gasp.

  
They entered the dark hull, air putrid and suffocating, the space full of mostly naked bodies.  
"I told you to prepare yourself," Edward grunted in response.

The whole space below deck was fully occupied by slaves. It was cramped, dirty, and reeking inhumanly after almost two months of the journey. Edward rapidly ordered unshackling them, but it took time. It was more than a 100 people selectively chained together in groups, naked, with almost no space to move, some of them hurt, due to brutal treatment and positions they were chained in. Oliver was terrified. He was trying to unchain them as fast as possible, but there were so many of them in the tight, dark space. The conditions were dreadful, people who were surrounding him were severely malnourished, some of the weaker of them mere walking skeletons. Some people seemed sick, almost dying. He prayed in his mind to not encounter someone that had died but was still chained with others, but surprisingly, they didn't find any dead bodies. 

Edward emerged from the hull, and approached him fast.

  
"We have found women and children in the other part of the hold," he informed him. "Maggie has checked the food supplies, and it doesn't look good. How about the Intrepid?"  
"We have enough supplies to provide the basic salted meat rations," Oliver blessed now the strict directives of the Royal Navy that provided them with relatively long-lasting food supplies. "We are still a couple of days away from Jamaica, and we will not be able to make port soon, but with limiting rations, it will work."  
"Good, I will order Maggie to get some of the supplies from here too, and we will take these people on board of the Intrepid."   
Oliver nodded but was not sure about the pirate plans.  
"Edward, you are not planning to take them all the way to Port Royal?"  
"No. Let's bring them to Jamaica's north shore, close to the Blue Mountains. They will have a good chance to join the Windward Maroons from there. This is their best option."

Soon enough, freed slaves had been grouped on board of the Spanish vessel and gradually let into the Intrepid, where Henry, with Ada and Ginny's help, was distributing modest food rations. The ties to the slave-ship had been cut off, and Intrepid sailed away, gaining speed under her unfurled sails. 

Edward was talking for a moment to a couple of men, rescued from the ship, then motioned for Oliver to come closer.   
"That's agreed, we take a course direction Blue Mountains," he informed him.


	12. "Middle Passage"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have tiptoed around that chapter for a long time, and it was missing for a while. And I would probably be still tiptoeing around it if not Katy´s Simpson Smith text: https://lithub.com/who-can-fictionalize-slavery/, that allowed me to accept this simple truth: I can´t do it in a way it would give it justice. And it is still better to write it rather than don´t. Or how she beautifully phrases it: "that’s just half the story, and a half-story can never be an honest one".
> 
> I didn´t want to ignore the reality of early 18th century the Caribbean, Spanish Main and British, that simply took enslavement as granted (like the original book totally ignores it), and I also want to make a realization about enslavement a part of one of the character's development, without making it the center of the story. For this chapter, I have taken a couple of decisions that may be controversial: 1) I decided not to create specific characters (with names, and backstories) for the group of enslaved people and limit the description of personal interaction. I didn´t feel it was right to try to create black characters and invent the stories of their lives just for two chapters. It could have been done, but it just didn´t feel right. As this theme would be revisited in the future with more depth, I will introduce black characters with backstories. 2) I am aware, that probability of crossing with a Spanish slave trading ship during this period was low, due to political setting and some international treaties, but it was not impossible. The reason I chose a Spanish ship is simple: they couldn´t confront a British ship, and I didn´t want to introduce another nation due to language reasons.

Edward and Oliver were standing in the latter's cabin, looking at the pile of Sam's clothes left on board the Intrepid after she disappeared. A beautiful ball dress and a couple of fine pirate outfits tailored by Grace were lying on Oliver's bed in front of them. They were trying to make a decision, evident and necessary, but still hard to make nonetheless.

Since they welcomed onboard over a hundred formerly enslaved people, food was not the only challenge they faced; there was also a question of providing clothing. They managed to collect some among both the pirate and the Navy crew. It was all too little for the needs. Ada and Maggie had used some of the blankets and the spare sails' fabric to sew some simple covers. The few clothes that Charlie didn't take with her were given away already.

Edward ran his hand over the delicate lace of pink dress that Sam had worn to the Governor's Ball, silently reliving memories of that night. Like it was just yesterday, he kept hearing his own words: "soon we will have all the time in the world," the promise they made that night painfully vague now. He remembered their encounter at the balcony and how he felt out of place in the fancy clothes, intimidated by Oliver's social graces. He thought the Navy lieutenant would be a better fit for the situation and a better choice for Sam. Then she made all of that go away, reassuring him of his worth and her feelings.

Thinking of Oliver brought his attention back to the man standing next to him: equally pensive, absentmindedly lifting an arm of one of Sam's shirts towards his face, closing his eyes and inhaling her weathered scent.  
"She would have wanted us to give them away, all things considered," Oliver said firmly after realizing the pirate was watching him.  
"Aye, she definitely would," Edward agreed, but none of them made a move, and they kept staring at the clothes in front of them.  
"Maybe we can keep one dress?" suggested Oliver.  
"Well, Sam is back, so she definitely already has clothes," Edward tried to reason loudly, more to himself than Oliver, "she doesn't need them. And when she is back with us, we can gift her whatever she desires."

He sighed, imagining all the things he would spoil her with, only if he could. Oliver nodded, burying his nose in the fabric for the last time, taking comfort in resolving to shower Sam with expensive clothing as soon as they find her. He imagined ordering exquisite evening gowns from London's finest seamstresses, and how she would try them on, twirling around, showing them off to him. His throat suddenly felt dry, so Oliver cleared it, audibly. Then he grabbed all Sam's clothes in a bundle and headed to the upper deck to pass them on to Maggie. Edward followed through.

During the last couple of days, the Intrepid decks had been converted into the temporary shelter for the people freed from the slave ship. If Oliver had ever complained before about the vessel being crowded, it was packed now. But it was suddenly full of life, too.

Following Oliver's suggestion, based on the Naval regimen, they organized the large group in smaller messes, making handling alimentary schedules and processes more manageable for Henry. The pirate cook went all above himself to distribute rations and effectively combine the Victualling Board provisions, mostly dry pease, flour and suet, some salted beef with a creative way of enriching the diet with some bycatch. The messes were assembled by the different languages people speak Yoruba, Igbo, Akan, or Kongolese. Oliver, although educated in ancient languages, was surprised by its variety.

From the beginning, Oliver curiously observed Edward. He was always accompanied by one of several translators, mostly men, who helped manage communication, mainly in mixed trade language, understandable by all the parties. Still, a couple of them spoke with Edward in fluent Spanish. The pirate captain had put a great deal of effort into getting to know their guests, taking his time to walk among groups gathered on the main deck, and checking if they needed anything, talking with them. Many times he took young Ginny with him.

When they reach the deck to handle Sam's clothes to Maggie, the darkness had already fallen upon them, enshrouding the ship in the warmth of a calm Caribbean night. The moon almost full was hanging above them. Oliver considered this a blessing; good weather was their ally, allowing people to enjoy the open air and freedom of the open seas, instead of crowding below the deck.

Edward casually joined the group of 10 people gathered around the older woman, telling some tale, but Oliver couldn't hear it from a distance. Ginny was there listening with shining eyes and mouth half-open. Edward leaned over wooden barrels, blending right on with this group of strangers.

Oliver watched them from afar, standing alone at the quarterdeck. He was curious, yet coy, acutely aware of his privilege, whiteness, and intimidating status, knowing that he simply didn't fit in their company. He would have never imagined that his ship would offer shelter to formerly enslaved people, and on the other hand, he would have never expected them to open up to him the way they did to Edward.

The rum was passed among the group. Once Edward got a swig, he noticed Oliver alone at the quarterdeck. He considered something for a long while, and finally, he motioned his hand in the navie direction. Oliver shook his head, even though the pirate kept insisting. Ginny noticed Edward's invitation, and she rushed towards Oliver, grabbing his hand and pulling him firmly towards the group. Initially, he tried to resist her, feeling out of place, but as the girl didn't accept, dragging him almost by force with her small hands, he gave in, approaching shyly. The voices lowered down, unsure, but Edward showed Oliver the crate he could sit on and handed him the bottle with rum, and Ginny leaned into Oliver, the same way she did before against Edward. After a couple of awkward moments, the group accepted Oliver's presence, and talking and drinking went on.

That, and a couple of following nights, Oliver heard many stories of different people, men, women, and children, about their lives they had led before as farmers, artisans, merchants, priests, soldiers, goldsmiths, and musicians. They had been separated by force with their families, their husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children, and siblings. Some of the formerly enslaved people shared stories of their captures, intents to escape, a painful way through some markets, transports, to the enslavement ship. There were a couple of hopeful stories, too, of a pair of siblings, a brother, and a sister, and a husband and a wife reunited on board of the ship after the initial separation. But there were only a couple, and most people suffered unreversible trauma of being torn out of their previous lives.

On the first night, one of the older women shared a legend, a story of an African Queen that had left Africa, with her court, and slaves of her and settled in Jamaica, founding a city in the mountains that later accepted runaways first from the Spanish, later British plantations. Hearing that, Oliver noticed a small smirk at Edward's face. It made him wonder, but not wanting to disturb, he decided to ask the pirate about it later.

He had anyway many questions that he wanted to ask Edward; the stories he had heard were overwhelming him. Since he was a small boy, he had been raised obeying the restrictive naval regime praised by his father. He benefited from it and was privileged by it, living a better life than most did and never questioning it until now, never questioning it until he met Sam.

By the end of the first night, they were slowly running out of rum, and people were slowly getting ready for sleep. Ginny passed out a while ago, and her head fell on Oliver's lap. He smiled as he never expected the tiny girl trusted him so much to sleep all vulnerable under his protection. As the gathering was winding up, he gently took her in his arms and nodded to Edward. They both said their goodnights and headed below the deck, towards their cabins. Still holding Ginny, waiting for Jonas to come and pick her up, once they entered the lower deck, finally asked Edward about the African Queen.

"The legends might be more real than it seems, Lieutenant," Edward answered slowly. "I don't know if she is a real African queen, the tale has it she came directly from Ghana, but there is a woman, called the Nanny that is leading a community of runaways slaves deep in the Blue Mountains. She is like the highest priestess of a religion called obeah, having a deep spiritual connection with African gods. There is a strong community there, called Windward Maroons. That's where we are heading."

* * *

A couple of intensive days passed, and the northern shores of Jamaica, as well as tall mountain peaks, appeared in front of them. The Intrepid dropped the anchor close to a beautiful sandy beach, and with several rounds of rowboats, all people disembarked without any significant delay.

Edward had given his last instructions to the translators of the group.  
"Once you get there, ask for the Nanny. Tell her that Edward Mortemer has sent you, she will know who I am".  
Oliver raised his eyebrows curiously. He didn't expect the pirate to know an African Queen personally and wondered about the story behind it.


	13. Kill Devil

Several days had passed after they left Jamaica's north shore, and the memory of Blue Mountains' slopes enshrouded in the humid clouds behind. They didn't talk about it with Edward, but Oliver knew the pirate was hoping that people they had offered temporary shelter onboard of the Intrepid would make it to their new destination in the Nanny Town and joined free and rebellious Windward Maroons. 

As they entered the waters heavily patrolled by the navy vessels, due to proximity of the naval base in Port Royal, the Intrepid was flying the British colors again on all of her masts. Oliver was back to wearing his Lieutenant uniform. To his resentment, Edward was stubborn and categorically refused to disguise himself as the Navy ever again, claiming that the mere Oliver reputation in Port Royal would give him the immunity that pirates were no longer granted in this city. 

"If anything, you could claim I agreed to be your privateer informant in exchange for impunity." Edward was not accepting any convincing, partly also because he enjoyed annoying Oliver.

"Very well, but don't blame me if you end at Gallows Point" Oliver motioned his head towards the gallows visible in the afar from the ship's deck, as they were approaching the island's port entrance. Thankfully no bodies were hanging there currently. It was not an unusual view in the city that turned from the pirate heaven to a notorious place where pirates were hanged within a couple of decades. 

Edward shrugged and growled something illiterate under his nose. He was getting cocky to cover his sudden anxiety, but it was evident that he felt insecure and edgy. Whether he was worried about being captured and hanged, about not finding Sam, or that she would choose Oliver, he would never let the latter know. Instead, he started to indulge the rum again, hoping it would somehow go unnoticed in the city that used to be the center for all the pirate debauchery.

* * *

Oliver was standing in the Port Royal's Commissioner's Office, his eyebrows frown, and his posture visibly angry. They had spent the last couple of days screening the city remainings by themselves, searching for Sam. They were also using the Navy contacts and intelligence extensively, a favor Oliver owed to his friendship with Port Royal Navy Commissioner, lieutenant James Owens. Owens was most likely the only friend he had made and maintained after his years in the Royal Navy Academy. And miraculously, Oliver had never put his hands on a woman who became Owens's wife, allowing their relationship to last, once they both changed London fog for the Caribbean's tropical climate.

"Are you sure that this person is in Port Royal" James looked on Oliver, concerned about his friend. 

"Do you doubt my word, Owens ?" Oliver snapped, "if I tell you that we know for certain that this woman is in Port Royal, she must be here."

The Commissioner sighed heavily, exchanging glances with his Master of Shipyard and Oliver's trusted officers: Doyle and Aldridge. The atmosphere in his Office was tense, as all yard ranking officials had gathered there, adding Oliver and his officers, and Edward.

Edward observed the whole scene, pretty drunk again, leaning jittery against the door frame. Over the last couple of days, everybody got used to Oliver over-indulging friend, and no one treated him seriously anymore. Doyle tried to manage the pirate discreetly now, as it seemed Oliver, who usually would control it, was going to lose it finally.

"Look, Cochrane. Why don't you take it easy tonight?" lieutenant Owens lowered his voice to appease the situation. "It has been a lot, the whole situation with the Admiral, all of that was not easy on you. We can still organize the search party tomorrow again, and maybe there will be more luck?"

"Oh, just don't, Owens," Oliver barked, angry and tired. 

"Oliver," Port Royal Commissioner was slowly losing his patience. He allowed Oliver a certain level of recklessness, on account of their friendship and the mystery around the Admiral's disappearing. Noone in the whole Jamaican base would ever regret this loss, but they wouldn't openly admit it, tiptoeing around the matter. "Just let it go for now. If you create any mayhem tonight, I would have to talk to governor Hamilton; we don't want that. Tomorrow we can start the search again and finally find her." 

He, and probably everyone in the room, including Oliver, honestly doubted it. Well, maybe the drunk pirate didn't. Port Royal turned into an island after the earthquake, and most of the buildings were ruined or being rebuilt as a naval base; for sure, it was not a place where someone could disappear and hid for a long time, especially that several soldiers and officers were on the lookout. And a beautiful young female wandering around the naval base would definitely raise attention. 

Owens stood up from behind his desk, grabbing Oliver's elbow, and gently leading him towards the door. Seeing that, Doyle pushed Edward and steered him in the same direction. They showed them out of the Admiralty Office in the hot and humid evening of the Port Royal. 

* * *

Oliver was still angry but tried to control himself. He inhaled the salty Caribbean night deeply, heading towards the boulevard's row of taverns. He ordered concerned Doyle and Aldridge to leave them alone. He needed a drink, and though it wasn't probably the best pastime for Edward, Oliver knew how to handle it. 

As they searched for Sam in Port Royal for the last couple of days without any results, Edward was growing increasingly frustrated. Taking advantage of the fact that Oliver actually was a Navy Officer, Edward moved freely around the city.He used that to wander around the city's taverns, drowning his growing frustration in alcohol, overindulging in Jamaican rum.

Oliver was trying to keep him in check, without raising suspicions that would have caused Edward to rage out. After some time, Oliver turned out to be incredibly good at this task, fooling Edward that he was keeping his drinking pace, controlling the situation as the Navy Lieutenant, and making sure Edward didn't accidentally hurt himself, always ending up in his cabin at the end of the night. 

* * *

As the darkness fell, Robert and Sam left their hideout to get some food and drinks. To avoid the crowding with navy sailors and raising attention, their safest option was a small tavern at the edge of the island. They sneaked out without getting noticed, disappearing in of narrow alleys of the destroyed city again.

* * *

After a couple of tankards of ale, Oliver decided he had enough. Edward definitely was drunk already, and now he had to get him back to the Intrepid. They were trying to walk, Oliver supporting Edward, steering him away from potential obstacles and distractions. There was some passerby in the oceanside boulevard tonight, and it took some force to keep Edward from bumping into them. 

"We are quite a couple" he muttered under his nose "Wonder what Sam would say seeing us like this" 

"Sam?" Edward suddenly stopped. 

"No, Edward, shhh, there is no Sam, lets come back to the ship" the drunk pirate was still strong and stubborn, but clumsy, that gave Oliver some advantage. He held Edward's arm with his.

"Edward..."

"No look, there...I think I have seen Sam," Edward stopped abruptly. "There..."

He pointed towards the dark, narrow alley's end, where two figures were disappearing in the shadow.

"Sam," he yelled. Oliver didn't expect anything good coming out of an encounter with the mysterious people and tried to stop him. Edward tried wriggling from Olivers hold.

"Sam," he shouted even louder now.

_The dark shadows at the end of an alley stopped abruptly. One of them turned around, pulling out the hood from their head just a bit, and the defiant strains of blond hair sled out from under it._

All of a sudden, it seemed like the whole universe froze in place. Even swaggering Edward seemed to stop his motion. Several meters away, separated by the British sailors crowding in front of the tavern they just left, Sam turned towards them. Robert turned as well, and the four of them stood there for what seemed to be a long, excruciating moment.

Then Sam rushed towards them, through the crowd. 

Oliver would have run towards her too, but he tried to hold Edward straight; the last thing he would like was Edward to collapse now, or even worse, do something unexpected. In the blink of the second separating them, emotions had overflown him, sudden relief, the expectations, the hesitation what Sam would do, and most importantly, who she would choose. 

Edward stood there, confused if what was happening was real. Or was it just his drunken vision. And then it was suddenly all Sam hugging him, her head buried in his chest, her arms around him, pulling him towards her. He still felt Oliver's hand on his arm, holding him straight, but he tried to embrace Sam, grabbing her head, and tugging her into his chest.

Oliver's heart froze. It was like his worst nightmare came true. He knew that Sam cared for Edward, and he also knew that she loved the pirate before him. He truly didn't know what he had expected. She chose to hold Edward first, not him, and he was just standing there awkwardly, helping the pirate keep straight.

And then, already convinced the world had ended for him, he felt Sam's palm reaching for his free hand, her fingers enlacing through his. She squeezed his hand gently, let go, reached out towards his face, grasped his neck's back, and tugged him towards her for a kiss. 

She was still in the arms of Edward, who was holding her close to his chest like his most prized possession, clutching to her, yet it was him, Oliver, who was going to get the first kiss. He felt the lump forming rapidly in his throat, but then his face was an inch away from her. She whispered:

"Come here," and their lips met in a passionate kiss.

Robert just smirked and walked over towards them, slowly.

"Ahem, not to break all so touchy reunion, it is an exquisite view" Robert finally approached them, keeping the distance of several steps between them, and cleared his throat. 

Edward flinched at the sound of his voice, gently pushed Sam aside, and sobering suddenly, reached out to draw his blade. Robert did the same, and Oliver prepared himself, a hand on the hilt of his weapon. 

"You traitor..." Edward growled.

In the blink of an eye, Sam stepped in front of Edward, blocking his possible lounge in Robert's direction with her body. Edward stumbled backward, surprised by her movement, Oliver's hand stabilizing him again. 

"No, Edward, enough. I know he betrayed you, us, but...if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here," she locked her eyes for a long moment with Robert. "Let's just go."

Sam's hand reached out for Edward's blade and lowered it down. The tension was deflating. Robert put down his sword.

"I will go with them now," she turned to Robert, "but we will find you tomorrow and discuss further plans." She nodded towards him and turned to Edward, sliding an arm around his waist. 

The three of them headed away, Edward supporting his body weight on her. Oliver fell into step with them, and Sam reached out to enlace her fingers through his.

"How? What happened? How are you back here" he wanted to ask her so many things, thousands of thoughts running through his head.

"Tomorrow, Oliver, I just want to go home now," She cooed softly. He just squeezed her hand in response, and they made their way to the Intrepid in silence, enjoying the touch of their enlaced palms.

Robert just followed them with his eyes and sighed. That was a sudden, unexpected turn of events, but if he played it wisely, he would be able to get back to the Damnation. But deep down he realized, he was going to miss this girl more than he considered wise. 

* * *

Sam and Oliver somehow managed to convince Edward, still under alcohol influence, that the best for him would be to go to his cabin and lay down. Once they managed to get Edward to his bed, Sam lingered in the half-open door.

"I will stay with him," Sam whispered to Oliver, her hand cupping his cheek. He pulled her in and kissed the top of her head, but could not say anything. 

Once the door shut behind her, he leaned heavily against the wall and closed his eyes. His heart was desperately clutching to the fact that he was the one that Sam kissed first, but at the same time, the thought that she was going to share the bed with Edward in the immediate future, below his own roof, on his own ship, weighed him down.


	14. Edward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is what it is.
> 
> (Chapter contains an explicit sex scene)
> 
> I wrote it listening to Lighthouse "Everything" which I recommend if you need background

Edward was dizzy, sitting on the edge of his bed, watching Sam close the door behind Oliver.

"I will help you with that." She whispered in his ear, moving to stand in front of him, then gently easing his upper body from his clothes. His hands went clumsily to her waist, his palms sliding lower from the small of her back, with a tempting move, and his face nuzzled the space between her breasts. The rum effects were slowly wearing off already, yet he was still unsure if he could perform. But the warmth of Sam's body close to his made the idea of giving it a try irresistible.

She leaned into him, pushing him tenderly into the pillows.

"Let me take care of you," she purred, in what he would swear was a seductive way. He didn't notice when she took off most of her clothes, but she was wearing just her underwear when she positioned herself close to him on the bed. His sheets were mussed and smelled like him, reeking heavily of digested alcohol, but still very much like him, and Sam inhaled this smell hungrily. Her fingers gently grazed his jaw and his neck, enlacing in loose strands of his hair. She was reveling in every single sensation she missed so much.

Their eyes met. For a long while, they were just taking each other in, trying to make up for all the lost time, recognizing each other again. Sam was falling slowly into Edward's ardent brown eyes. They studied her face, the boyish spark awakening deep down there, and a coy smile was gradually lighting his face. Sam's heart clenched at that sight, overflown with mixed emotions, all the pain and longing blending now with the relief, and sudden peace, and love for him, bringing her on the verge of tears. Fighting them back, she smiled gently at him.

They didn't need to say anything. After all this time, against all the odds, coaxing the reality to follow the promise they had made to each other at some point, they were taking all the time in the world to make their reunion feel right. 

He pulled her even closer and whispered to her ear:

"Do you have any idea how much I missed you?" 

"Shhh," Sam silenced him, moving two of her fingers to his lips; Edward kissed them gently. They both simultaneously leaned forward, and their foreheads touched, noses nuzzling. His mouth brushed hers shyly, as though his kiss were an insecure question. She answered with her lips. Their mouths grazed one another again and fused in a soft kiss, letting their lips and tongues touch, tasting each other for a very long moment.

Sam slid her hands around Edward's neck and pressed herself against him, feeling his hard chest on hers, their hearts pounding. Her mouth planted gentle kisses down his jaw, his neck, and his shoulder. Her fingers traced around the scar, healed but still fresh; broad, as not stitched in time, now contrasting its bright baby pink color with his dark skin. 

That permanent mark was a reminder of an injury caused by Oliver playing dirty, something Sam would always hold against him a little, even if long but forgiven. A memory of a painful but essential moment that brought her and Edward closer, followed by their first kiss. A scar that somehow symbolically was tying the three of them together. As she planted several feather-like kisses all over it, Edward leaned in to press his lips to the top of her head.

She took her time exploring his body. After all, they had all the time in the world. Her lips caressed every inch of Edward's chest, her hands grazing his abs gently. His eyes closed; he surrendered himself to the touch of her mouth and palms. Occasionally his breath hitched, reacting to her reaching more sensitive spots. It felt like ages for both of them until she made it all the way down his stomach. Her lips were planting soft kisses along his waistband, and her hands were working on sliding his trousers off. Her palm settled over Edwards groin, and he let out a low rumble. His arousal was obvious and immediate, manifesting itself by growing bulge in his pants.

"Let's lose those," Sam cooed, easing him out of his remaining clothes and then taking off the last of hers. Her hands made the way up to his thighs, kissing inside one of them. She buried her face in his groin's crook, kissing and licking it gently on both sides. She could see how every caress made him excited and sensed him trembling as he waited for her next move, trying to control himself. His breathing had deepened, his heart was pounding hard, and he was all vulnerable under her touch. 

Sam's mouth explored the shape of Edward's groin before taking his shaft in. She slowly dragged her lips along his whole length, all the way from the base to the tip, swirling her tongue around its head and underneath the ridge. Then she sucked it, slowly first, then faster and harder. She felt his muscles tightening, and a small drop leaked from his tip, filling her mouth with a salty taste. His hips thrust, and he shuddered, entwining his hands in Sam's hair, pulling her away and up to face him.

"Slow down, I want..." he gasped, and his mouth crushed on hers, his tongue insistently slipping between her lips, not finishing the sentence. 

In the blink of an eye, he shoved her onto her back and positioned himself between her thighs. She pulled him in, fitting him between her spread legs, and rested her hands on his hips. He inhaled sharply, his body close enough to enter hers with his cock, his hard girth nudging her thigh impatiently. 

Edward lifted himself slightly, letting the head of his cock linger at her entrance. Sam's breath caught in her throat as a rogue smile appeared on his face. He grabbed his shaft and let its head rub slow circles around her opening, making her wet and grinding against him. 

"Edward..." she whined, trying to wrap her legs around him, but he held her in place. Enjoying her impatience and growing pleasure, increasing his caresses' speed and depth, he finally slid his cock slowly into her. 

They found each other gaze and exchanged soft smiles, welcoming each other in their rediscovered intimacy, and after so much of tormented time, greeting each other as if they had just met.

"Hi."

"Hi, Miss Bellamy." 

He pulled himself out and thrust again, taking his time, his cock sinking deeper into her with every deliberate move. He waited a few seconds, then drew back only to push further. She moaned out in pleasure. 

His pace was gradually taking off at speed, each thrust more powerful than the last. He finally let her wrap her legs around his waist, and she lifted her hips to take him in more profoundly. She moved her hips in time with his thrusts, wanting him to own her, to be one with her. 

He increased the speed, pounding his cock into her, slick with her wetness as it glided in and out. His eyes fixed on hers, full of love. They were climbing higher and higher, reveling in each other bodies and mutual pleasure _._ All of a sudden, her climax mounted its peak. She cried out loud, her muscles tightening around him. Edward growled, burying his head in her neck, and with his final thrust, she could feel the warmth of his seed filling her. 

He stayed inside her while they held each other close, kissing tenderly until both exhausted, they drifted off into sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, my head cannon Edward is pretty vanilla.


	15. Oliver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter contains explicit sex scene

Sam woke up early and careful not to wake Edward up sneaked out of the bed. She threw her shirt on and tiptoed towards Oliver's cabin. She slid through the door, undressing quickly, and slipped under the sheets to curl close to him. 

She pressed her back to the front of his body and shifted her behind slightly, fitting her curves perfectly into his groin's crook. Very slowly, and deliberately she moved her hips in small circles, getting closer to him. Her hips continued their lustful dance, grinding harder against his shaft.

She smirked, as she suddenly felt Oliver's hard erection pressed into her back. Her hand reached back to grab his ass and to push it close, but Oliver stopped this movement, his strong arms coming around Sam's waist from behind, holding her still, pinning her hands to her body.

"You think you could sneak in here like that and make me want you," he hissed, burying his face in her neck, grazing it with his teeth.  
"Do you want me?" Sam turned the tables on him.  
"I expected you earlier," Oliver's arms tighten around Sam, and his hips pressed hard into hers, searching for an entrance between her thighs.   
"My apologies for making you wait" Sam knew what she was doing.  
Both of them smiled at this inside joke, a direct quote from the night they met. Oliver's lips traveled up along Sam's neck, to whisper in her ear.  
"How is he?"  
"He will be fine. Thank you for taking care of him, that means a lot" Sam sighed and turned her head slightly so her nose could nuzzle Oliver's.  
She leaned back and let their lips meet. She felt one of his hand tracing slow circles around her hip. His fingers grazed her stomach and thighs' soft skin, sliding in between her legs, stroking their sensitive inner side. 

Her hips continued to tease him. He slid his fingers down her folds, dragging them over her clit. She leaned into him, allowing for better access, following his fingers' movements, rubbing herself into them. She was able to feel his erection pulsing into her ass, and she arched into him, trying to embrace it. He pushed his fingers inside her, moving them slowly, and Sam's gasped. 

"Do you want to...? He asked. His breath was hot in her ear. The way their hips had been fitting together, bodies finding a familiar rhythm, like in a slow dance, he had no doubt what the answer would be.  
"Oliver...." Sam whispered, "I always want you."  
That was enough to make Oliver's hand travel up Sam's chest, grazing her breasts, tracing her collarbone. His thumb ran over the side of her neck and his fingers laced underneath her jaw. Then suddenly, his grip on her neck tightened, and she gasped.  
His teeth caught one of Sam's earlobe, and he growled.  
"Say it louder."  
"I want you, Oliver," Sam obeyed.  
"Good," his left hand still clenched at Sam's throat. His whole body weight pushed into her, his cock, hard and pressing, demanding a way in. She lifted her hips slightly, and his right hand slid in between her thighs, spreading them wide enough to gain access to where he wanted. She arched her back to take him in, and the tip of his cock slipped inside her, just barely.

He thrust, and Sam let out a sharp cry. He moved steadily, increasing the pace, his teeth sinking in Sam's shoulder whenever loud moans escaped her mouth. He reached forward, sliding his fingers in between her folds, and she leaned back, letting him explore. His right hand rubbed around her most sensitive spot; Sam's body tensed, expecting incoming pleasure, but then Oliver grabbed her hip, pushed it forward, and slowed down his movements.  
"Oliver..." Sam whispered breathlessly.  
"Oh no, not so fast," he smirked. 

This position gave him full control over Sam's body and pleasure, and he loved having control. His movements stopped, and he pulled out, causing Sam to hiss, and he laughed. 

His hard cock teased her again with his head throbbing at her entrance, pressing slowly, entering just barely over and over again. She whined again and tried to push him further, but he held her hips still. He teased her, held her in place, pressing himself slowly, and patiently inside. 

His hard body carved into her back, spooning her, his broad shoulders enveloping her and holding her still. He pulled her top leg up, hooking it back around his firm thigh. Slowly he started to move again, guiding her hips for deeper penetration. The angle of his cock reach became impossibly deep, moving at a slow, steady pace. He gradually increased the speed to bring them both on the edge of pleasure only to stop there and start a new. 

When they started to move together again, Sam's body trembled, slick with sweat, and her voice was whining. Seeing her like that made him shiver. Her hips were bouncing as he thrust deeper and deeper. He picked up the pace, slamming his hips into hers. 

His hand moved from Sam's throat to slip one, then two fingers into her mouth, and she sucked them obediently. Finally, he slid his fingers out, and they clenched at her chin, guiding Sam's mouth back to meet his, his tongue sliding in impatiently. While they engaged in the heated kiss, he finally brought them both to the verge of pleasure. He shoved himself hard into her, his tip reaching deep inside her. She cried out while sharp waves rushed through her body, her muscles tighten around him, milking his climax until she could feel his cock contracting, releasing hot load inside her and fill her up. 

Exhausted, they both collapsed into bed, still embracing each other.  
"That was..." Sam smiled at Oliver. "You never disappoint Lieutenant," she teased him.  
"God, I missed you," he smirked, tracing his lips around bite marks he left on Sam's shoulder. The realization that Edward would see them, the same way he felt the heavy scent of the pirate´s semen and sweat on Sam's body before, made him feel strangely at peace.


	16. At foul sunrise and at murk sunset

The sun entered Oliver's cabin through the large windows, casting playful shadows over Sam's face, waking her up. It must have been noon already, but the ship's atmosphere was lazy after last night. The Intrepid was still sleeping, gently swaying on the waves of the port waters.

Sam wandered off to the quarterdeck, her eyes gliding slowly over turquoise water, delicate surf, and over the half damaged city, regaining part of its old life, the city that has served as her shelter for the last couple of weeks. Calico, the parrot, settled gently on Sam's shoulder, nuzzling her neck, asking for some snacks.

"Good girl," Sam stroked her colorful feathers. "I have missed you."

"I have missed you! I have missed you!" Calico responded, turning her head playfully towards Sam. She smiled, broke some hardtack into small pieces, fed them to the bird, then closed her eyes, inhaled the salty air, let the wind play with her hair, and warmed her face. She was at home.

"That's an impressive view" Oliver's low whistle woke her up from her moment, and she realized he was observing her for a while from the main deck.

He approached her, his back pressed against her, and he slid his arms around her waist. She leaned into him, into the crook of his neck. Together, they enjoyed the gentle blew of the breeze and the tropical sun shining in their faces.

"How does it feel?" he asked her.

"Still unreal," she smiled gently, thinking about not so distant past, hours spent hiding, Robert being her only company.

"And you? I don't even want to imagine...," she turned to him, "how are the things after your father disappeared?"

"I would not even know where to start," he admitted after a moment of silence. His mind reflected on the last couple of weeks, or maybe even months, he couldn't tell. "I have sent the letters to London, so we have some time before any action would be taken against my father. And the local naval base here, no one would open this matter willingly; my father was not exactly the beloved leader," he snorted. "They hate him here, so until any orders arrive from the Crown, they will keep the comfortable status quo."

"That's not what I am interested in," Sam craned her head up, trying to catch a glimpse of his expression. "Well, a bit, yes... but I am asking about how do you feel? You look weathered and gloomy."

"Do I?" he supported his chin at the top of her head and smirked, "maybe because I was sailing under the black flag for a while? Or spent too much time with a certain pirate captain?"

"I am glad you two get along. I wish I were there to see it."

"Well, that's the whole point, Sam. We would have never got here if we weren't searching for you; that was quite an adventure" he thought about la Tortuga and his voodoo experience, and above all, about their pirate encounter with the slave ship. "I would like to do more things like that with you, some time."

"Are you turning into a pirate, Lieutenant?" Sam raised her eyebrows, amused.

"Maybe. I think it has a certain allure to it," Oliver kissed the top of her head, and his arms tighten around her. "and a company that I can't keep my hands off from."

His voice was gentle and playful, but he felt somehow bittersweet. He was acutely aware that rather sooner than later, he would have to face a decision about his future in the Navy. Current circumstances were temporary, probably until official orders from London would arrive. Though pretty settled, the pirates couldn't sail at his, well, the Navy's ship endlessly. The reasons for his impulsive decision to join forces with Mortemer taken naturally when Sam disappeared, now seized to exist. On a more mundane level, the Intrepid needed some urgent repairs that he neglected until now, and Port Royal was an adequate place to stay for a couple of weeks, but he couldn't do it with a bunch of pirates on board. Not that they would enjoy staying hidden for a longer time in this place, anyway.

He sighed and leaned in to search for Sam's lips, deciding to postpone thinking about the inevitable to another day. Just before their mouths met, he hesitated, and she smiled gently just inches from his face to encourage him. It felt different than last night's passion, in the bright of a day, in the blinding tropical sun washing over their faces. He finally pressed his lips to hers softly, and she parted hers to let him in. Before his tongue found his way inside, their lips tenderly caressed one another, enjoying the warmth of their presence. The time seemed to stop now, and it was just them, sharing the intimate moment, savoring each other's tastes slowly.

The sound of clearing a throat interrupted their tender moment as they realized that Edward had suddenly joined them at the quarterdeck. He was still sleepy and visibly hungover, the sight Oliver was quite used to, but it was surprising for Sam. There was a short moment of hesitation; Sam felt Oliver'd body tensed behind her, uncertain, awaiting her reaction to Edward showing up. The pirate captain cast them an appraising look, but his head was still pounding, and it was too much for him for any coherent response. To Oliver's relief and surprise, Sam did nothing. No sudden moves towards Edward, no awkward intents to wriggle out of his arms. She just settled in his embrace, enjoying it.

She felt safe and protected, but aware that conversations with both of them needed to happen sooner rather than later, as it was not fair towards them not to be open about her feelings.

She turned her head to Edward and cast her sweetest smile at him.

"Good morning, Captain," she winked. "How did you sleep?"

He just growled, his voice low and hoarse, causing Sam and Oliver to laugh. She reached out to Edward, smoothing his disheveled hair with her fingers. This gentle caress of her touch made it impossible for him to resist and put a slow smile on his face.

* * *

Once the darkness fell, Sam, Edward, and Oliver left the Intrepid, heading towards the busy, at that hour of the evening, part of Port Royal. Sam assessed the possibility of Robert's whereabouts and, discarding the idea of going to their old hideout, opted for a particular brothel instead. It felt different for her, going for the main entrance, now accompanied by a fully uniformed, high ranking and respected Navy officer. The choice of the establishment made Oliver raise his eyebrows, but she just winked at him and whispered: "It's a pirate thing."

Once they entered, she searched for familiar faces, and after a moment, she noticed the prostitute that she met once being here with Robert. Sam made her way through to her.

"Is Robert in the back?" she asked.

The woman cast her long, judging look, but finally nodded.

"Just like yesterday," she paused, her eyes gliding over Edward and Oliver, and finally considering her words. "Now I understand why he was all grumpy and needed company. Not that I complain." She burst out with a fake laugh, and Oliver and Edward exchanged a surprised look.

"Well, we hope to hear the tale someday, Miss Bellamy," the pirate turned to Sam. "Now lead the way."

They made their way to the back. Indeed, Robert was sitting at their usual table, accompanied by two young employees of the brothel. Once he saw Sam and her company enter, he sent them away, asking for a round of drinks for the newly arrived guests with a nod of his head as they left him.

They sat at the table. Edward cast a distrustful look towards Robert, but Sam's hand on his thigh, stroking it tenderly, kept him at ease. Robert ignored the pirate captain but was cautiously judging the Navy lieutenant. Although their path crossed, he didn't know much about the navie, except for being the Admiral son and Sam's lover. The chemistry between the three of them was so evident that Robert did not doubt the romantic entanglement they were in.

Oliver reciprocated his curiosity: the older pirate that betrayed his own kind to work with his father, only to get stabbed in the back, and now somehow having a strong friendship with Sam.

Sam allowed this moment of long, mutual judging until their drinks arrived, knowing they were in an extraordinary situation, and that this situation needed extraordinary measures.

"There has not been much of the reaction in the Navy about the Admiral disappearing. At least so far." Robert stated, taking a swig of his drink when they finally arrived. He looked at Oliver, trying to judge his reaction. "Not that it matters to me, but it could mean some complications."

"We have months until the official orders arrive from London" Oliver intended to be cautious and let on only the minimal amount of information he had.

"The Damnation crew seems to be in the Bahamas," Robert added after a long while.

"Nassau?" naming the location seemed to raise Edward's attention. It would be the best place for him to acquire a new ship, and now with Sam back, he could probably start anew, maybe recruiting some more crew.

"Most probably." Robert hesitated a bit, judging Oliver's reactions again. Nassau was far away from the naval base, and as a pirate den, not a friendly place for a pirate hunter that Oliver was at least some time ago.

The lieutenant wavered. He was aware of some of the Navy plans regarding the Bahamas, but he didn't want to let most of them on. Even if Sam was considered, he didn't want the pirates to know too much. He could make it work: going there as a British. He nodded slowly.

"Oliver?" Sam asked, looking at him with her big, trustful eyes, and an uneasy shudder run through him.

"I could sail towards the Bahamas," he said slowly, considering his words warily.

Edward raised his tankard. "To Nassau!" Oliver and Sam joined him.

"To Nassau!" Robert crashed his tankard into theirs finally not to raise suspicions, but somehow, he didn't trust the Admiral's son at all. However, he didn't have any better option, and a couple of weeks sailing from Jamaica offered enough opportunity to figure things out. Probably even the chance to talk to Sam privately.


	17. The Truth of the Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> La Verdadera Destreza (The True Art) is the name of a complex classic school of Spanish fencing developed starting XVI century in the opposition to esgrima vulgar (popular/common fencing) http://www.verdaderadestreza.es/#

Edward was pacing around the pier, looking attentively at the Intrepid's hull, sifting through the wooden planking. His face grew more and more preoccupied with every decay caused by the shipworm, a common occurrence in the tropical waters, he noticed on the vessel. His brows knitted tightly; the more time he spent examining the wooden construction and the damage done to it, the more concerned he grew. He sighed. He knew the Navy was not careful with their ships, as the Admiralty discouraged their captains from frequent maintenance, but expected more precaution from Oliver.

He didn't notice the flow of time when Sam joined him at the pier. She looked thoughtfully at his frown, and her fingers gently smoothed the wrinkles on his forehead. 

"What is it, Edward?" her voice was sweet and caring.

"The ship. She clearly needs careening or at least some urgent repairs; I need to talk to Oliver." He seemed a bit too upset by the fact that the lieutenant neglected taking care of the Intrepid. "If we are going to sail to the Bahamas, we should consider beaching her somewhere on the way. Not here, though."

"You are such a considerate captain," Sam smiled. She searched for his hand and gave him a light squeeze. Then leaned into his shoulders, falling slowly into his warmth and strength. He inclined towards her face, searching her eyes for permission to kiss her. She grazed her lips over his first, welcoming the gentle touch. Then their kiss grew deeper. When finally they broke it, smiling at each other, she sighed against his lips.

"We should talk, you know, about you and me, and Oliver..."  
A gloomy shadow ran through his face. 

"Should I worry, Miss Bellamy?" He asked her, preoccupied.

"No, Edward, no," she tried to give him a reassuring look, "don't worry. But we should talk, just the two of us. Maybe take a walk with me?"

Edward hesitated. Two pirates wandering into Port Royal, too far from the protection granted them by the naval ship, could end up badly for both of them. 

"Not here, no. Once we get out of Port Royal, I promise we will take enough time to talk." She nodded and smiled at him in response. He smirked and leaned into her again. "But is it all right if I kiss you again?"

"Of course, Edward," she pulled him in.  


Before their lips met again, they were interrupted by Oliver's voice behind them. 

"We are ready to set sails as soon as the other pirate shows up," he growled, carefully avoiding calling Robert a friend, interrupting their moment.

"The ship needs repairs, is not good for sailing like this, Lieutenant," Edward turned towards him, his judgmental voice made Oliver's cheeks turn slightly red. He didn't want to be schooled by the pirate captain, but he knew he neglected to take proper care of the Intrepid at some point. "We need to make a stop somewhere along the way, to careen her. It'd not be wise to sail into Nassau, with a ship that won't be a match for nimble pirate vessels of the Pirate Republic."

"I agree," Robert's gruff voice sounded behind them. "Here, Sam, things you have left behind." He threw a tightly knitted bundle in her direction, and Edward caught it for her.  
"I suggest we sail towards la Isla de Los Piños and take a couple of days to careen her. Then we could sail to the Bahamas through Florida Straits, much wiser way to approach the isles anyway." He added. 

Edward hesitated a while, and as much as he didn't trust Robert, he had always admired his sailing instincts. And his own were telling him the same; it would not be wise to sail to their destination, ignoring the maintenance needs. He nodded and looked at Oliver to voice his approval. The lieutenant hesitated. He knew the pirates were right, though he didn't want to admit it openly. Finally, he turned to Edward.  
"Fine, do what you consider necessary," then left them standing, heading to hid himself in his cabin.

* * *

The Intrepid was sailing smoothly through the night along the southern Cuban coast. The first rays of the sunrise were already starting to find its way through the blackness of the night. Robert couldn't sleep. Seafaring at the ship that belonged to the British Navy made him really edgy. The perspective of sharing the tight ship space with the pirate captain and the crew that he betrayed twice, and with the Navy's remaining representatives was not appealing, as he didn't feel welcome and trusted. It was still an improvement from hiding in Port Royal, but the next days were not going to be an easy time. There was also Sam, and he couldn't stop thinking about her. He sighed. 

He stepped into the poop deck and leaned on the railing, watching the clear wake of the water left by the vessel and emerging sunrise casting long lights in the sky. The warm, salty wind embraced him, and he reveled in the feeling of the open sea and the rolling of the wooden deck below his feet. 

The gentle rocking of the ship woke Sam up. It took her a moment to realize where she was; the movements and the squeaking of the sailing vessel, and the warmth of Edward's body spooning her restored her sense of reality. She lay in bed, watching the wooden ceiling for a moment, but as the sleep was not coming back to her, she decided to get some air at the main deck. 

Somehow she was not surprised to see Robert leaning over at the railing on the poop deck. She silently joined him.   
"Couldn't sleep, too?" He smirked and shot her an appraising look.  
"Seemed like we have that in common," she chuckled.

Robert looked over her again and smirked at the memory of that one time when their passion took over them. He was aware that it was the one-time occurrence, but he could not stop thinking about it, imagining it, hoping for another chance. Sam returned his gaze. It was the first time since she had reunited with Edward and Oliver, that she had a moment to talk to Robert alone. 

"So you are finally going back to your crew?" she broke the silence.   
"Aye, seems so," he paused for a moment. "And you? Is this all you have wanted?"  
"Yes, it is," she smiled softly.  
Robert hesitated. He wanted to ask her about her relationship with Edward and Oliver but didn't know how and what he wanted to know precisely. He also wanted to talk to her about his doubts regarding the lieutenant and an uneasy suspicion that the navie was hiding something.

"Sam, do you...?" he paused for a second, shifted his position slightly, so his arm was now grazing hers and rephrased his question, "how well do you know your Navy friend?"

His question caught her off guard.

"Isn't implying he might betray us ironic from your part?" she huffed defensively. 

"No, Sam, look, I have been around here for much longer than you have. I just think he is not telling you all he knows about the Bahamas."

"Really, Robert?" she got outraged by his allegations. "Like it wasn't you who cooperated with the Admiral behind my back." She shook her head, angrily. 

The silence fell between them. Robert looked at Sam's stormy face and reached towards her hand in a conciliating gesture. His hand hovered over hers for a moment, and finally, his palm covered hers gently. 

Suddenly, they heard steps on the main deck, and Robert retracted his hand abruptly, as they realized that Edward and Oliver appeared in the gray daybreak. 

As the air was already hot and humid, Edward took his jacket and the shirt off, and Oliver followed after a moment. Robert couldn't but notice, with a sting of jealousy, how Sam's eyes sparkled as her gaze slid thoroughly over both of them. After a moment, both men noticed the company watching them from the poop deck.

"Good Morning, Sam. Robert," Edward was surprised seeing the unusual couple on the deck at that early hour but didn' say anything. He caught, however, an equally surprised expression in Oliver's eyes. The latter just nodded towards their audience, as Sam just welcomed them with a small wave of her hand. 

"Are you ready, Lieutenant?" Edward turned towards his companion, taking both of their weapons in his right hand, crossing the blades. 

He took several steps towards Oliver, and extended the hilts, brought together. The latter raised his eyebrows and smirked in a somewhat cocky way. His hand hovered for a moment over the hilts, then finally he grabbed Edward's weapon, leaving the pirate with his own. 

"So, this is is how we are going to play it?" Edward growled with a playful tint in his voice.  
"Are you not pleased, Captain?" Oliver responded, still smirking boldly. 

The truth was, teasing the pirate was a sophisticated form of revenge for his comments on the Intrepid's maintenance needs, more in Oliver's mind, though, than the captain would ever notice. 

Edward laughed and graciously moved his right foot to assume his stance, waiting for the navie to do the same. Positioned in diagonal, facing each other, they extended the swords, drawing semicircular movements with the tips of their weapons in the air. They returned to their previous positions, performing vertical cuts along the diameter line and finally, pointing their blades straight up with swift movements.

Robert gasped lightly, leaned his back on the railing, and whisper to Sam with some kind of awe.

"La Verdadera Destreza."

Sam shot him a sideways, surprised look. 

"The true art of Spanish fencing, that's the traditional way of saluting your duel opponent in a friendly fight," Robert was impressed, and it was showing more than he wanted. "We are about to see a great deal of fencing," he sighed.

Edward rumbled cheerfully.   
"Let's play!" 

In the blink of an eye, he stretched his arm and launched his weapon beautifully towards Oliver. The navie took a small step backward and parried with ease, blocking Edward's blade with a masterful defensive technique. The pirate nodded lightly, showing his approval, moving his sword to the left side. Oliver advanced to take on the attacking stance, his weapon outstretched, pointing at Edward. Then he thrust, meeting a hard riposte from the pirate, who blocked his move. 

All their movements were carefully controlled and in proportion. Neither of them took eyes off the opponent, watching for the smallest hint of a move so that they could riposte when the opponent attacked. They exchanged several lunges and parries, cautiously moving their feet in the studied patterns, not breaking the imaginary circle they were moving around, observing their partner, to be able to take advantage of his opponent's weakness to attack. 

Suddenly Edward closed the distance quickly at Oliver and launched a powerful thrust. The lieutenant moved backward and raised his blade in the defensive stance, blocking the pirate's lunge. Edward stepped back, forced to retreat. He smirked and challenged Oliver:

"Why don't you try to attack me, Lieutenant?"

Robert and Sam held their breaths. It was apparent that both men have been practicing swordplay together for a while. Sam seemed hypnotized, seeing them find their own rhythm, now half-naked, their bodies glistening with sweat in the tender light of the first rays of the rising sun. She swallowed hard, and the delicate blush crawled over her cheeks, making her attraction obvious to Robert. 

Hearing Edward's encouragement, Oliver tightened the grip on his hilt and considered his strategy for a while. Then he attacked with a thrust directly towards the exposed area of Edward's chest. The pirate parried and moved backward, shifting his body's weight to ease the blow's power, blocking Oliver's lounge. As he expected, Edward used the opening to thrust a blow of his own, towards Oliver's chest, and the latter used that to place a bind over the pirate's blade and moved slightly.

With the light move of his weapon, the pirate tried to disengage from the hold and thrust forward. Their blades crushed, and Oliver diverted the forte of Edward's sword. An almost invisible smirk appeared for a moment on the pirate's face. He already knew the intention behind those moves and was contemplating, for a brief second, if to allow the lieutenant to follow through with it.

He lounged forward, and Oliver parried, adding some pressure, to force Edward to lower his blade. They were now closer than before, and Oliver used that proximity, as the pirate expected, to grab his hilt and disarm him. 

"Very well, Lieutenant," he laughed, "I still could have seen your tactics coming a mile off, but you are getting better at the true art."

Sam observed them carefully, admiring perfectly carved bodies, moving in the morning light, the chemistry between them that kept surprising her since the three of them reunited. She realized how many times Edward laughed and how Oliver was looking up to the pirate captain. At this very moment, she was certain how much she loved them both; how much she desired them both. 


	18. Careening

Under full sail, the Intrepid glided along the southern coastline of la Isla de Los Piños, aiming for its furthest cape. The ship took the course towards the land, and after a series of fast tacking maneuvers, they anchored off the beautiful cove, sheltered by the rocky formations. Sam smiled, admiring the lush beach with fine white dunes spread ahead of them. Both pirate captains joined her.

  
Edward and Robert agreed on a remote bay being an excellent place to careen the vessel. Coastal cliffs formed by chalky rocks, with caves penetrated by the ocean, hidden underground beaches, and lagoons. It offered the perfect hideout for the pirates. 

  
"This is a good place to set our base," Robert pointed out an area on the dunes above the beach. "We have access to water, wood, different plants, and a variety of animals we can hunt." 

  
"What?" he snorted, seeing Sam's preoccupied face.

  
"I won't eat any turtles or reptiles," she pouted. Henry was a creative cook, and she already knew he wouldn't refrain from catching any animal that lived in the Caribbean to enrich their diet.

  
Edward eyed her; tortoises and other easy to catch animals were frequent ingredients of the meals when pirates spent time in places like this.

  
"Is this the future thing?"

  
"It is a humanity thing," she frowned, annoyed.

  
"How is the turtle different from a fish, Sam?" Edward's confusion was growing.

  
She just sighed.

  
"Once we empty the ship, help Henry with the kitchen duty, Sam," Robert instructed, "you may as well convince him to prepare a real clambake." He cast her a provoking grin.

  
Edward's expression tensed, his eyes narrowed, and nostrils flared. Sam at once noticed his clenched fists and feet set apart, ready to attack.

  
"I don't remember you being in command, Robert!"

  
"Okey, Edward...", next thing she knew, she was pressing her hands tightly against his chest, separating him from Robert, and pushing him firmly away. "Let's check on Oliver." 

  
"You don't have to treat me like a baby," he grunted. She was still walking him backward, her palms strong against his chest.

  
"No, but I would rather see through this journey, with both you and Robert intact," she looked up at him. "I see you get disgruntled by what he does or says."

  
"He annoys me," Edward admitted, letting her calm him down with soothing strokes over his chest. 

  
"I know," she nodded.

  
They almost reached the edge of the quarterdeck, Robert disappeared from their eyesight, and Sam eased her grip on Edward. Oliver was on the main deck, supervising emptying the hull from the guns when they neared him. He looked focused, hoping to make up for his negligence in taking care of the ship.

  
"Let's mouth some guns at both sides of the entrance to the bay," Edward composed himself in Oliver's presence and pointed out to the spots he considered adequate, "and the rest of them on makeshift earthworks in front of the camp. We will assign guards to watch over the bay later."

  
He frowned kindly, seeing a surprise painted all over Oliver's face. 

  
"You have never careened a ship the pirate way, Lieutenant?" Edward teased him. 

  
"You are right; I haven't." 

  
The Admiral's privileged son, he always got the priority in the docks of Port Royal. He never took care of any maintenance himself, too, using the same privilege to delegate these tasks to his officers. 

  
"Then you are about to see quite an operation," Edward smirked, content to have the upper hand. "Once you finish with the guns, find me at the beach, and you will see how it's done," he turned out to Sam, already heading to the ship's helm "Miss Bellamy, get Henry, and help him unload kitchen supplies."

  
Sam stalled for a moment after he left to get an alone moment with Oliver. She closed the distance and gave him a small kiss on the cheek, followed by a gentle spank. Before he could react, she spurted across the deck, out of his reach, and laughed.   
"Chop! Chop! Lieutenant, you have your orders!"

  
Oliver couldn't but laugh with her too. 

* * *

  
Several hours later, they heaved the Intrepid over, and the ship lay on one of her sides, exposing her bottom for cleaning and repairs. They set a tented camp up on the dunes, sheltered by pimento trees. The storage space, constructed from spare sail canvas, protected the stores and supplies from the wind and tropical showers. Edward and Oliver inspected the hull, discovering some holes and some bottom planks eaten by the worms, but nothing the crew couldn't repair. The pirate captain distributed the scraping and mending worn-out sails tasks among the crew.

  
When the sun was about to set down, Sam and Henry were ready with arranging the provisional steam pit, with a choice of crustaceous, clams, vegetables they collected, and some Henry had in the ship's storage, cooking over. When Robert saw the pit, he smirked, nudged Sam, and whispered.

  
"I think this is changing history."

  
"Depends on how you look at this, Robert," she whispered back "as far as I know, it's a pre-Columbian tradition."

  
The entire crew gathered around the pit, passing rum and helping themselves to the cooked food. Once Sam finished her meal, raised to her feet, and sat close to Oliver for a moment. Her arm grazed his, and her hand slid along his thigh.

  
"I am going to take a walk with Edward. We need to talk," she whispered, and her breath tenderly caressed his neck. "Assume nothing," she pleaded. He nodded as she stood up and moved in front of Edward.

  
"Ready to have our walk?" she waited until he rose to his feet and enlaced her fingers with his.

  
They set off to wander along the beach, hand in hand.

* * *

  
  
Edward and Sam strolled along the beach, holding their hands in silence for a while. The evening was warm, and the weather was calm, with almost no wind on the sheltered beach. The sky above them was clear, illuminated with stars and the full moon.

  
Once they get far enough from the camp, Edward squeezed her hand and asked.

  
"So, you wanted to talk about us?"

  
Sam took a deep breath before answering.

  
"I did. I do. I just want to explain how I feel," she stopped moving and faced Edward so she could look into his eyes. "And to check if it's all right with you."

  
He held her gaze and nodded, encouraging her to continue.

  
"You know that I..., that I have feelings for you, right? When I got back to the future...," she paused, "my heart broke when I thought I would never see you again. I think ... I love you, Edward."  
His heart race sped when she said those words. He leaned towards her.

  
"I..." but she stopped him with her palm tenderly pressed to his mouth.

  
"But, I think you realize by now that I have those feelings for Oliver too."

  
Edward's face became tense, but he remained calm.

  
"What are you trying to say, Miss Bellamy... Sam?"

  
She sighed, and he noticed the light trembling of her hands.

  
"I guess,... that I feel things for him, and you. And that I don't want to lose any of you," she paused and swallowed, but her inner strength was coming back to her. When she continued, her voice was firm and calm. "I don't think I could handle choosing one of you; I want to share my life with both of you."

  
She searched for his eyes; he was calm and pensive, but she could tell thoughts were racing through his head.

  
"I know that is not what is common, but it's just how I feel."

  
"Is this how romance looks like in the 21st century?"

  
"No... and yes," she cracked a small smile, "people are still getting married to one person. And monogamy is still the most popular way to form relationships. But people are more and more aware that it's not the only and right way, and... that people could love more than one person at the same time. Does it mean you will consider it?"

  
"How does it work in practice?" Edward had a million questions, but he knew one thing for sure. He would not let that woman go. Not after the despair he felt after losing her once, even if he had to accept her relationship with Oliver. She breathed the sigh of relief; he seemed to be coming around to the idea.

  
"We would have to work it out between the three of us, I guess. But we will if you are open to it."

  
His arms came around her, and he tugged her close to his heart, hugging her tight. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse:

"You are the best thing that happened to me, Sam. I will try it."

  
She buried her face in the opening of his shirt.

  
"Edward, there is one more thing I need to tell you... but please don't get mad. When we didn't know how to find you, me and Robert... once... ."

  
She didn't finish when Edward growled.

  
"I will kill him!"

She raised to the tip of her toes to face him.

"It meant nothing, let it go," and before he could say anything, she pressed her mouth to his and silenced him with a passionate kiss.

  
It didn't take long before he melted against the insistence of her lips and tongue.


	19. Night Swimming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be warned: the chapter contains an intimate scene. Not exactly explicit, but descriptive.

Oliver finished his food, raised, and left the fireside to wander around the heaved ship. From this position, he could observe Sam and Edward down at the beach cove. He watched them while they talked, reading their tense body language. Later they made out and finally took their clothes entirely off and went for a naked swim. 

He blushed, feeling ashamed of spying on them, but he would have given his right arm to be there, with both of them. Unexpectedly, he heard heavy steps on the sand and realized that Robert approached him. He narrowed his eyes, checking upon his surprising company.

"I see you like to watch," the pirate teased Oliver, realizing instantly the sight they saw from their viewpoint.

Oliver choked, and his cheeks turned red from the embarrassment of being caught spying on Sam and Edward by the last person he would want to.

"I do not see how that concerns you," he answered Robert through his greeted teeth.

"It doesn't, but the _courtship_ between the three of you is obvious to pretty anyone," Robert deliberately emphasized the word courtship, counting on flustering the navie. 

A warm flush crawled over Oliver's cheeks again, betraying the discomfort the conversation about the romantic situation with Edward and Sam had caused him. Robert noticed the reaction and smirked.

"Things are..." Robert hesitated, a sly smile crawling upon his face, "much simpler where she... where we come from, Lieutenant. Unsolicited advice, you may as well join them. She is worth it."

Oliver narrowed his eyes, casting the pirate a suspicious look.

"Are you implying something?" he grunted. 

"As I said," Robert had a Cheshire cat smile painted over his face, content with the effect he had on the navie, "things are much simpler where we come from."

Oliver hesitated. Once again, he cast a long look to where Edward and Sam were carelessly enjoying small waves under the moonlight, occasionally splashing each other with water and laughing. He didn't want to spend more time in Robert's company either, so he just walked past the pirate and strolled down the beach. He wandered towards the small cove where Sam and Edward were taking a bath.

When Sam noticed him approaching, she waved towards him. 

"Oliver, join us!" she was all a bright laughter, her wet blond hair shining like silver in the full moon. He shook his head. But she insisted, beaming at him, luring him out, so he gave in to the temptation of her voice and undressed.

Sam's eyes fixed on him, admiring his body. He was almost ready to enter the waves, to join them, still wearing his underwear, but Sam shouted his direction. 

"No! please lose all your clothes, Lieutenant," with a couple of long strokes, she swam closer and rose from waist-deep water, all naked. He held his breath. 

She looked like an ocean goddess, emerging from among the waves in the moonlight, silver light reflected in her exposed features, tracing its rays along her perky, full breasts, curved perfectly, her damp skin all glittery.

"Don't be coy, Oliver, night swimming is thrilling; we are enjoying ourselves here..." she kept tempting him, carelessly, and once again, he had found himself drawn towards her.

He searched for Edward with his gaze, trying to judge the pirate reaction, but he looked as mellow as he looked standing on the yardarm.

"Oh, come on, Oliver," she pleaded again, sending the big splash of the water his direction, "don't make me beg."

He would have loved to hear her beg, in different circumstances, perhaps. Now he decided against it, falling for the incentive in Sam's voice. He removed his remaining undergarments and straightened up with one smooth move.

Sam's eyes sparked, seeing him in all his majesty, his perfectly shaped, muscled body, abs taut as he moved. He noticed Edward checking him out casually too, and smirked, content by the reaction he got. 

Then he dived into the breaking surf. Oliver enjoyed the sensation of lukewarm water, embracing his body, submerging into it, and swimming with the fast movements for several minutes. He flipped to his back, doing little backstrokes and admiring the glow of the night sky above him for a while. 

He turned back again and checked out his companion's whereabouts. Sam was the closest to him; Edward was further away, diving into upcoming waves. He paddled slowly towards Sam. She was relishing in the water, swimming with long breaststrokes, so he had no problem with getting after her.

"You were right; it's exciting," he stated, catching up to her.

"It is, isn't it?" she smiled teasingly at him. "I bet you have spent so much time sailing the oceans but have never experienced the naked night swimming."

"Well, being commissioned by the Royal Navy doesn't leave much space for enjoying small pleasures of life," he came back at her. 

"Doesn't it? Really?" Sam friendly ragged on him. "I thought you found enough time to explore certain pleasures of life...". 

She burst out laughing, and Oliver squirmed, feeling the sting of embarrassment by her calling him out so straightforwardly. Her directness was one thing he adored about her but still felt slightly intimidated when caught off-guard like right at this moment. 

They were floating slowly, treading water to keep themselves afloat.

"Certain pleasures, you say?" His arm came around her waist, and he pulled her towards his chest tightly. The smell of her wet hair made his head spin. He hesitated for a moment, aware of the presence of Edward nearby. 

Their movements and sudden proximity drew Edward's attention, but he remained calm as the recent conversation with Sam had put his mind at ease.

Sam slid her arms around Oliver's neck smoothly, entangling her fingers through the hair on the back of his head. He shivered. They were floating around in lazy circles, their legs entwined together. 

They drew their faces to each other, closer and closer, holding off but longing to kiss. Oliver fixed his gaze on her lush lips. Realizing the direction of his look, she bit her lower lip seductively and lowered her face into his, sticking out the pink tip of her tongue just barely. Encouraged, he pressed his mouth onto hers, and his tongue forced its way in. She surrendered, and he devoured her, losing track of time. 

After they came for air, he lifted her and lowered his face into her cleavage. His tongue savored the saline flavor of her skin, wandering over to her right breast, leaving a wet trail until reaching for her nipple, flicking over it until he could feel the tip of it harden in response. He captured it with his lips, teasing it, while his hand slid lower, stroking the silk skin of her behind.

"Oliver... I want..," her ragged breath made her soft voice sound husky.

"Sam?" he raised his eyes to look into hers.

"I want Edward, too."

He lifted his head and his eyes, full with desire, contained now also the surprised question. 

"I ache for you, Oliver, now and every day," she paused, "But I also want, I need Edward. I need both of you," she lowered her voice to a hoarse whisper.

"I need both of you now." 

She swallowed hard, but in the deep of her heart, she felt light, putting her desires into words and expressing them finally.

Sam searched for Oliver's eyes, trying to gauge his reaction. He didn't seem shocked; the desire in his eyes didn't disappear. After a while, he just grabbed her neck, bringing her face closer to his:

"I suspected you would say something like this one day," he made a long pause, taking her face in, his eyes trained on hers. Then he lowered his voice to a gruff whisper. 

"But I have done nothing like this before. Will you ... take the lead?"

She smiled slowly and nodded. He pulled her into another kiss.

Sam turned in Oliver's arms, waving towards Edward, inviting him to join them. Edward hesitated. His body was telling him to do it. To his own surprise, the sight of Sam and Oliver making out didn't make him jealous; it turned him on. That realization made him shy in an instant; he never would expect himself to be open to seeing the woman he loved touched by another man, neither doing it at the same time.

The sight of Sam arching her back into Oliver while his hands fondled her breasts, his mouth traced the smooth skin on her neck, and gentle moaning sounds coming out of her mouth made it impossible to resist the temptation. He approached them slowly.

Sam smiled and reached out for the strong column of his neck, bringing his face close, and his body flushed against hers. She closed the distance with a kiss. The warmth of her insistent tongue filled in his mouth, and he responded with his lashing over hers. He felt muffled gasping sounds when he traced his thumb over the side of her neck.

Oliver was pressing into her from behind, kissing and biting into her shoulder. His hands slid lower, gently grazed the rounded curves of her hips, and moved down to tease the soft skin of her inner thighs.

Edward trailed open-mouth kisses along the underside of her neck, her collarbones, and the space between her breasts. Her breath came in small irregular pants as the intensity and speed of both men's caress grew with every moment.

Oliver's fingers slid gently into the pulsing space between her thighs and made her inhale sharply. He enjoyed the feeling of hot wetness, much warmer than the ocean, that trickled down his palm. Sam moaned, but Edward stopped the sound with another one of his passionate kisses, his hands cupping her breasts.

Oliver's fingers kept moving faster, and sensing the upcoming pleasure, she burrowed her head in the hollow at the base of Edward's neck, panting hard. Edward enlaced his fingers through the hair at the back of her head and tugged her protectively into his body. She felt the tension building up in the bottom of her stomach, followed by the powerful sensation of electricity running through her entire body. As it overwhelmed her, her teeth instinctively bit down hard on the flesh of Edward's neck, and he growled.

His hand pulled her head up to face him, and his tongue forced his way into her mouth. They kissed passionately for a moment, then Edward broke the kiss, his hand still entangled in her hair. He guided her to meet Oliver's lips. He claimed her mouth possessively. 

Finally, she raised for air, slid from their arms, diving into the ocean. She surfaced several feet away from them.

"That's just the beginning," she laughed.

Edward and Oliver exchanged unsure glances, aware of how hard and wanting they both were at this very moment.


	20. Nassau

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: the character of Charles Vane was inspired by the portrayal of this historic figure in the series "Black Sails", however, the ultimate character storyline would be more accurate historically. All the other locations, events, and characters portrayed here are as close as possible to historical ones, and not depicted as in Black Sails.

The Intrepid was waiting for the high tide to make port at Nassau. Oliver wandered along the quarterdeck. A seagull cried above him, and the crosswind entangled in the loose strands of his blond hair. The sudden blow of the salty breeze cooled his cheeks. He watched the black jack on his ship, then his gaze shifted towards sloops floating on the shallow waters of the Nassau harbor in the distance, sandy beach sheltered by erect, slender palm trees and the remote buildings of the pirate town.

He squinted his eyes. A solemn stone fortress rose above everything, protecting the settlement from unwanted guests, and Oliver instinctively counted the defensive stations on its walls. The anchorage protected by the thin offshore piece of land called Hog Island was too narrow for any Navy ship-of-the-line to approach close enough. This made this place a perfect base for the sea rover’s enterprise.

He absentmindedly straightened the sleeves of his uniform. In his short, but intense career as a pirate hunter, he got to know Nassau and its residents, the infamous Flying Gang, pretty well. He had chased them along the Spanish Main and across the Caribbean. Yet it would be his first time here. He raised the spyglass to his eye, trying to decode the colors and the designs on the masts of the distant vessels lying at anchor, but the treacherous shine of the tropical sun reflected in the silver sea surface made his attempt impossible. The only ship he recognized by its dark, massive hull was the Damnation. Robert’s crew was there, and he thought with a relief of parting ways with the hostile pirate.

“I guess it’s time,” he muttered to himself and headed below the deck.

* * *

He was already wearing his pirate disguise when he heard a light knock on the door. His stomach fluttered as a soft, familiar voice followed.

“It’s me, can I come in?”

He opened the door. Sam grinned at his sight, her gaze skimming over the clothes, reminding her of the night they first met.

“It feels awkward to wear it after so much time,” he admitted to her, not even trying to hide his discomfort.

“I still remember everything from that night, like it was yesterday.”

“I do too, you were very bold,” he smirked, pulling her into his arms “It was the first time someone has ever demanded a kiss from me.”

His nose nuzzled hers, his lips stole a quick kiss from her before his eyes darkened with more painful memories.

“I wish some things… that happened later… hadn’t happened at all…”

“There’s nothing we can do about it now, Oliver. That’s all in the past.”

She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. He buried his face in her hair, and the intense smell of sun, sea-salt and a slight note of lime overwhelmed him. He could feel the sped up rate of her heartbeat, matching and mixing with his own. For a moment he fought the growing desire, his body wanting her now with every tense muscle. Then he just embraced the comforting feeling of having the woman he loved in his arms.

Sam ran her hands along his chest. Something didn’t feel right, and she realized that his pirate clothes were buttoned up wrong, the collar of his vest crumpled and folded.

“Here, let me help you,” the tenderness of her voice followed by the gentle brush of her palms, correcting it for him and smoothing creased material, “are you worried about going there, Oliver?”

“No, why would I worry?” he tried to control his voice.

“Oliver…” she insisted.

“Not my first time walking into the pirate nest,” he smirked, hoping it would cover a sudden dryness of his throat. “This might just be the biggest one.”

“Is there a chance…” he noticed the slight trembling of her lips, “that someone could recognize you?”

“Maybe, but I think chances are small,” he tugged her in protectively “and I will have you and Edward to defend me.”

* * *

After the short raw-boat ride from the anchored ship, Oliver, Edward, Sam and Robert arrived at the harbor. The four of them had to bump their way through a busy crowd, booths trading different plundered goods sheltered by the sail-canvas or makeshift wooden stalls selling fresh food and live animals. They headed towards a more built-up area, where regular colonial houses sat along the main drag.

As they walked, Oliver cautiously observed their surroundings, making a mental map of the place, principal buildings, alleys, a bigger gathering of residents. He also noticed the change in the appearance of his companions: Sam taking everything in with shiny eyes and ruddy chicks, clutching onto Edward’s sleeve like a curious child. Robert seemed impatient. Anytime their gaze met, he looked at Oliver with squinted eyes and disparaging scowl.

And Edward… Edward suddenly looked like he ruled the place. His usual cockiness amplified. He walked down the middle of the road, with wide, firm steps and his arms swinging, taking up so much space, that both Oliver and Robert needed to stay a couple of steps behind him and Sam. Oliver couldn’t quite comprehend this change, and Edward was bold enough sailing the oceans, but somehow Nassau brought even more strength out of him.

Edward led them further into the narrow alley of Nassau. They stopped in front of the low corner building hiding a tavern. The noise of drunken patrons talking and laughing, and the clinking of glass and tankards spilled through the windows into the street.

“I believe you will find your crew here,” Edward barked to Robert, “this is where we part ways.”

He pushed the heavy, squeaking door and entered. Sam wanted to follow him, but Robert grabbed her arm. They exchanged a long, somehow soft look that didn’t escape Oliver’s attention.

“Remember Sam, what I’ve warned you about. And if you need anything…,” he didn’t finish.

“I know.”

“Lieutenant, it was far from a pleasure,” Robert muttered, walking past Oliver to the door.

Sam and Oliver followed through. In the flickering candlelight, they could find their way to join Edward at the bar counter, maneuvering their way between wooden tables, stools, and barrels, and crowding patrons of the establishment. He already had a bottle of rum and passed them filled in glasses. Oliver looked over Edward’s shoulder towards the barrels with ale, but the pirate, noticing the intention, looked daggers at him and shook his head slowly. He drained his glass.

“Wait for me here. I am going to talk to Jennings and Hornigold about a new ship,” he commanded “try not to draw too much of attention to yourselves.”

He turned and left them at the counter. Oliver noticed Sam took a deep breath, and he dragged his stool closer to hers.

* * *

  
An excruciatingly slow hour later, Edward still didn’t come back. They went through the three-quarters of the rum already, when sudden movement among the patrons picked Oliver’s interest.

The noise dropped to a murmur, and a tall, muscular man entered the tavern. He looked like hell; his long hair tousled, a fresh, bloody cut on his cheek. With swaying movements, he approached the bar counter.

“Pour me some.”

He downed the drink in one move and waved at the barkeep to pour him another. When half of the next glass was gone, he looked around, his piercing blue eyes judging his surroundings. His eyes got fixed on Sam, shamelessly checking her out. His gaze skimmed through the delicate features of her face, her cleavage, and the well-marked shape of her breasts under her clothes. He let out a husky growl of appreciation, moving closer to her.

Oliver observed the stranger, and his biceps quivered involuntarily, getting ready for a fight. His hand wandered to his hilt. The man noticed this and smirked.

“I wouldn’t. Make a move, and you and your friend will not get out of here alive.”

He got even closer to Sam, and she desperately skimmed the tavern, looking for Robert and his crew, but they were nowhere to be found. He was so close that Oliver was sure she could smell the alcohol scented breath on her face.

“What do you want?”

The stranger ran the back of his hand along Sam’s cheek, then her collarbone, and she instinctively grabbed his wrist to stop him.

“Fierce” he snorted but stopped his exploring. He didn’t remove his hand, though and lowered his face towards her.

“I have heard that you are claiming to be Sam Bellamy.”

“Yes I am, and who are you?”

The men grimaced, not used to not being recognized.

“Name’s Vane. Charles Vane,” he paused.

Oliver’s heartbeat sped. A stranger who was hitting on Sam in an obscene way was one of the most notorious and cruel members of the Flying Gang. Oliver tried to hunt him before.

Vane looked at Oliver, and the latter would swear that there was a hint of recognition in the pirate eyes. Or maybe it was only a suspicion? Whatever it was, and whatever reason he had to ignore him, he just did, focusing on Sam.

“See… Black Sam Bellamy, my friend… is dead. And you might be beautiful,” his palm caressed her cheek despite her tight grip on his forearm “but stealing a dead person's name?”

“I am Samantha Bellamy” her face flushed with anger. He continued the move of his palm, stronger than her, working through her resistance.

“Leave her, Vane.”

Edward’s voice beamed over the noise of the tavern. It suddenly went silent.

“Hands off, don’t make me repeat.”

“Mortemer, long time no see.”

They were now facing each other, and Vane finally stopped touching Sam. Both men held to their hilts, ready to draw their swords any minute now.

The air was tense with the expectation of drunk patrons of the tavern to see one of many fights they saw every night. Edward’s jaw clenched, and Vane looked him directly, provocatively in the eyes. In a split second, that felt like an hour, they judged each other. Then a sly, wicked smile appeared on Vane’s face. He stepped forward, and all of a sudden he threw himself in Edward’s arms, with a shout:

“The Flying Gang is complete again, barkeep, rum for everybody.”


	21. “… and the bottle of rum”

"The bottle of rum, please, the best that you have, this time," Vane glowered at the barkeep and he retreated silently to the storage room to get their most valuable bottle. Vane's reputation as the madman who would torture anybody who opposed him was enough for an incentive. A vicious grin appeared on the pirate's face.

Edward leaned his back against the wooden bar and downed the rest of the alcohol from his tankard. He tugged Sam closer, his hand wandering from her waist to the curve of her hip, making their intimate relationship obvious to Vane, whose eyes didn't stop skimming lustfully over her body for the whole evening.

They went through several bottles already, both of them with the great practice of men used to drinking, and not lowering their guards down, wary and observant. Neither Sam nor Oliver could catch up with their speed and amounts. Especially the latter felt the weight of the strong beverage already.

The barkeep placed the bottle of rum on the wooden countertop, cleaning the emptied one. Vane filled both his and Edward's tankards and held up his high in the air, in a salutation to his old friend; another toast, one of many he made this night.

"You fookin' bastard," he circled his arm around Edward's shoulder, "I have heard about the Admiral's mysterious faith."

He grinned mischievously.

"Since you are free of the old navy scum, I can not wait to see you under the black sails with me again."

Edward hesitated. He tried to catch Sam's eyes, to get the approval from her. Vane knew him for too long to miss that, and a thin, surprised smile appeared on his face.

"I was about to make you an offer, Edward," he lowered his raspy voice, and his gaze sparkled with a sudden wild shine. He kicked his chair, raising rapidly to stand in front of Edward.

"I have a ship, a beautiful 12-guns brigantine, that I took over just recently. I almost betrayed the Ranger for her. It is yours if you please, old friend,"

Vane narrowed his eyes, studying Edward's face. He knew that Mortemer lost Poseidon's Revenge and was in the market for another vessel. He also knew that it was a gift that Edward wouldn't be able to refuse.

"It is mine, you say, Charles?"

Vane used to be like a brother to him. Before the whole arrangement with the Admiral, they both had sailed under Henry Jennings as boys and had learnt everything about sailing and piracy together. There was a time when they were inseparable, giving a chase after slave-ships all over the Caribbean, freeing the enslaved; pillaging and plundering, taking from the wealthy and giving to the poor. Edward was the only one that kept the madness of Charles Vane in check when they worked together. Since they parted ways, Vane's insanity crawled in and turned him into the most vicious and cruel pirate of the whole Caribbean.

"And what do you expect in exchange?" Edward knew the famous pirate too well.

"You know the usual prize, do you?" Charles Vane paused and swallowed, now waiting for the response. He noticed that Sam squeezed Edward's hand gently, and his grin grew wider.

Edward was taking his time to respond. He wanted to communicate with Oliver too, but it would not escape Vane's attention, and raising suspicion was the last thing he wanted. It took a fair share of his willpower not to look in the Admiral's son's direction.

"Mortemer, I am not the man of patience, don't make me wait," Vane insisted. Finally, Edward nodded slowly.

"Meet me tomorrow at the beach at noon, and she is yours," Vane raised his tankard above their heads again in a toast, and Edward joined him. "Here's to our newfound alliance."

"Samantha," he seemed satisfied and turned his attention to Sam. "Let us celebrate that my old friend found himself a beauty to warm him up at nights."

He winked at her.

"I doubted he would ever fall into temptation. But here look at you."

He leaned over the bar to whisper something in the barkeep's ear.

"This is to you, lass." He ordered a round of rum for everybody in the tavern to toast to Sam. The crowd burst into applause, and Vane raised his tankard in her and Edward's direction.

Sam tilted her head and looked him in the eye.

"Why the sudden change of attitude?"

"Look," all at once, Vane's husky voice became softer. "Bellamy drowned in a great hurricane in April this year. Only several months ago."

He studied her face, searching for a glimpse of sympathy. She nodded and averted her gaze.

"People, especially here, will keep asking questions about your relationship to the Prince of the Pirates, Samantha. I would suggest being more cautious."

Oliver put a protective hand on the small of Sam's back, his thumb stroking it gently. It didn't escape Vane's attention. He raised his eyebrows and cracked a sly smile.

"The three of you, you look very snug together."

* * *

The constant flow of rum made them lose the track of time. The air in the tavern grew heavy with the fumes of alcohol, tobacco, and crowded bodies. Edward shot a quick look at Oliver, whose face turned pale and his eyes misty.

"Maybe we should have a seat outside for a while," he proposed, grabbing Oliver's coat and straightening him up.

"Good idea," Vane smirked and turn his attention to Oliver, "Who is the lad, anyway? He can't hold his liquor at all." He laughed maniacally.

They walked outside of the tavern. Edward held Oliver's arm, and for a moment it reminded him of the not so distant past, where the roles were reversed.  
  
" This chap?" Edward pointed his head nonchalantly at Oliver, "he comes from some English family of wealth. Begged us to let him join us when I plundered the ship he was on. Paid us to train him and," he changed his voice to fake a pure Queen's English accent, "to experience the swashbuckling lifestyle."

He laughed as carelessly as he could. Vane eyed Oliver, filling his pipe with green Jamaican weed. They sat on wooden barrels in front of the tavern and smoked, passing the pipe between Edward and Vane. The moon was shining off the sea, lighting ships floating peacefully in the distance. A strong breeze blew from the harbour.

Vane lowered his voice to a harsh whisper.

"I have something to share with you," he carefully looked around, checking the area for any prying ears. His eyes glistened with a hint of danger.

"I plundered some English merchant ships this season. Thirty or thirty-five all together," he bragged, trying to judge in the dark the impression he made on Edward. "Among them, I attacked a small Navy sloop, twenty guns. The crew surrendered easily, we left no soul alive," He laughed and revelled for a moment in the reminiscence of the wild trance of the attack, fast and furious combat, bodies scattered all over decks slick with blood. Edward's mouth twisted briefly in a grimace of disgust, and Vane collected himself.

"But you won't fookin' believe what I have found" he made a suggestive pause "letters, logbooks, all intelligence on the pirates here in Nassau. Destined to be delivered to the Admiralty in London. And the worst is Edward… they are sending the Royal Navy frigates this way. And the pirate exterminator, new governor of this place, some lad called Woodes Rogers." He spat on the ground.

Edward blessed that they were sitting outside of the tavern and that he could hide his expression under the cover of the darkness. He felt Oliver shifted uncomfortably close to him, and he swore in his mind.

"I tell you, Mortemer, the Royal Navy will be here in no time. It is good that you are back in Nassau."

A sudden blow of the wind from the sea distracted them. Dark clouds overshadowed the moon.

"It looks like the weather is changing," stated Edward, "It's time we retire for the night." He stood up and stretched.

"We can talk more tomorrow. Remember, at the beach at noon," Vane reluctantly bid them farewell, and disappeared in the darkness of Nassau dunes.

* * *

"Are you good to walk, Oliver?" Edward asked.

"I am less drunk than it might seem," he answered, clearing his throat, "I should be all right with some fresh air."

"Then it is good we had to climb up the Nassau hill. It should sober you up."

"Climb up the hill? Where we are going, Edward?" Sam followed them up, finding her place in between them and enlacing her palms through theirs.

"Jennings has a small property up there, from back in the days when he was young and horny. Not using it anymore since he retired and married, so it will do for us for the night," he paused considering his next words, "I would have sworn you were drunk, you are dangerous, Oliver."

"Like you didn't know it already," Oliver let out a husky laugh in response.

Edward smirked but got serious again.

"For your information, lieutenant. Vane might have believed you were drunk, but I do not think he bought the rest of it. But we will deal with that when the time comes."


	22. "We're sharing the black heart"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter contains explicit scene

Edward led them through the narrow alleys away from the harbour, towards the less inhabited area, where the plain of the shore creased into the range of low ridges. A couple of plantation homes scattered across the slopes. The coppice grew taller and greener the further it was from the salty spray of the coast. Smaller colonial private houses hid under scarlet poinciana and poisonous manchineel trees. The humid air was heavy with the sweet nocturnal scent of plumeria flowers.

Sam stopped for a moment and turned to admire the expansive view. Both Oliver and Edward followed her. The lights of Nassau and the Hog Island seemed smaller down at the bottom of the hill. Open waters of the ocean stretched until the end of the horizon. The full moon barely reflected its silver lights on the surface. The dark clouds covered it almost completely now and were approaching the island at a terrifying speed. The humidity of the air carried the smell of tropical rain.

"We should hurry, otherwise we will get caught by it," Edward grunted, gently pulling Sam's hand to make her walk.

But it was too late. A quick sea squall rolled into the harbour and followed up the hill, catching up to them. Gentle at first, it turned into torrential rain in no time, soaking them up to the skin. They run through the remaining stretch of the winding road leading to the small cottage house, wrapped in purple bougainvillaea vine. The heavy downpour veiled the view. An earthy, wildflower smell, typical for the tropical rainfall, released into the air.

Edward took the key out and was just about to open the door.

"Wait" Sam stopped him, grabbing his arm and dragging him back into the lashing rain, "you too, Oliver. I loved to do that when I was little."

She laughed like a small girl and pulled him in for a kiss. The water falling from the sky was warm and purifying. As Oliver's lips traced over the sensitive skin of her neck, she felt Edward's mouth on hers, his insistent tongue, and the salty taste of the raindrops running down her cheeks. As the sensations overwhelmed her, all she could think about it was the beauty of the moment and how complete both of them made her.

* * *

The small room was cosy with the warmth of the tropical sun that accessed through the windows during the daytime. Edward lit some candles, and the space lighted.

"If you are cold," he turned to Sam, who drained her long hair, "we can start some fire. There are also sheets and blankets on the bed."

Edward pointed to the small fireplace in the summer kitchen first, then to the enormous mahogany bed that occupied most of the space.

"Is it just me, or it looks like your friend kept this place ready for any possibility?" Oliver commented, hanging his wet clothes on the back of a mahogany chair.

"Maybe he still hopes to have a use for it," Edward smirked, his eyes skimming briefly over Oliver's taunt abs, "if this is the case, we are all but lucky."

He looked over at Sam. The humidity curled her long blond hair in gentle waves. She removed her wet clothes too, covering her body loosely with a sheet found on the bed. Her full breasts, slim waistline, and the silky mound between her thighs were still glistening with the rain moisture. He swallowed hard, admiring her, his desire building up in his loins. His gaze shifted, and he met the hungry steel of Oliver's eyes.

Edward hesitated. He took off his leather jacket before, but for some reason, he was reluctant to undress completely.

"Edward, you will get cold," Sam approached him, and he felt her gentle palms unbuttoning his shirt. Then she slid her fingers under the waistband of his pants, rubbing his muscular ass for a moment, before she stripped him with one smooth move, pressing her lips to his neck at the same time.

Oliver came behind her.

"Do you still need it, love?" he lowered his husky voice to breathe in her neck, removing the sheet from her arms when she nodded in response. Edward could feel Oliver's powerful arm wrapping around Sam's waist and see him kissing and nipping on her neck and her shoulders from behind.

Edward felt her hot panting on his chest, the savoury smell of her damp hair, and the smooth graze of her hands, sending shivers down his spine. Then she removed his shirt, the last piece of garment one of them had on.

Now they were all naked.

Oliver's gaze skimmed over Edward's chest. He stopped caressing Sam's neck. He couldn't avert his eyes from the scar on the pirate's shoulder. It was a broad, discoloured mark where Oliver's weapon cut through deep, a bold contrast to Edward's naturally darker skin colour. In slow motion all the flashes passed through his head: their duel, things that happened on his ship, handing them over to his father, first time he had seen Sam and the captain kiss. And above all, the memory of himself losing it, the tightness in the chest when he realised he had hurt her, and that she could have hated him forever. He let out an audible gasp.

Edward noticed the way Oliver looked at him, and instantly became shy, taking a step back from him and Sam. She glanced at both of them. It took her seconds to understand the situation. She followed Edward. Her palm covered the scar and grazed it soothingly. Aware that Oliver was watching them, she lowered her head to trace her lips over the mark on Edward's shoulder.

Both men exchanged glances, unsure of how to proceed. Sam's kept one of her palms pressed to Edward's chest, while her other hand reached for Oliver. She enlaced her fingers through his and pulled him towards them. Gently, she led him to touch Edward's shoulder, guiding Oliver's fingers around the scar. She looked deep into the pirate's eyes and after he nodded she slid her fingers out.

"That's fine," she whispered, and kissed Oliver, deep; his thumb stroke the scar. Edward's skin was rougher than Sam's but warmer, and he enjoyed the sensation that touching Edward caused him. Then Sam turned to kiss Edward, her tongue sliding into his mouth, while Oliver's fingers still grazed over his shoulder, and Edward shivered as Sam's hand slid down his sculpted abs. Their touches were so different on his flesh, yet both excited him.

Not breaking the kiss with Edward, she pulled them both towards the bed. Edward pushed her into the pillows, at the same time when Oliver pushed her knees apart.

"Are both of you sure of this?" her voice sounded like a raspy moan. Edward nodded.

"Are you?"

The timbre of Oliver's voice was grazed with lust.

"I... am," she let out a gasp from the depth of her throat, as Edward lowered his face, and sucked on one of her breasts. His fingers caressed the other one, grazing around the rim of her nipple and teased the perky tip of it.

At the same time, Oliver positioned himself in between Sam's widespread legs, kissing and licking her inner thighs. His mouth travelled higher, exploring, his tongue finding its way to her wet opening, sliding it inside her folds and flickering around her clit, and then dipping it in faster and harder again.

Edward's gentle touch grew tougher, impatient. He was kneading her breasts, his mouth pressed to hers in a searing kiss, his tongue dancing with hers. Sam grabbed his wrist and squeezed it tightly, reaching for his hard arm, fondling it, pulling him close to her.

Oliver's tongue slid in and out of her, every stroke inciting a jolt of pleasure in her body. She moaned loudly. His finger stroked her throbbing clit, and her hips bucked and writhed.

"Oh, my god..." a loud groan escaped her mouth, and her palm entangled in his hair. For a heartbeat, she pushed his head towards her folds, but then she pulled him up towards her face.

She shifted, supporting herself over the hard plain of Edward's chest with her back. His hands were still palming her breasts, every squeeze followed by a tingling sensation. Sam kissed Oliver, tasting herself on his tongue, her palm reached in between his thighs. Her fingers closed around his hardened shaft, stroking it. She felt him groaning in her mouth with every firm move of her hand.

They were still kissing passionately when she sensed his arms around her waist, and the next thing she knew she got flipped into all four. Oliver pressed his chest to her back and whispered in her ear.

"Are you ready, Sam?"

"Mmm...," she just purred in response.

Oliver positioned himself behind her, his hand kneaded the small of her back and her firm butt to ease her in, and then he thrust filling her up completely. Her walls tightened around him, He moved slowly first, letting Edward to position himself in front of her.

Edward kneeled in front of Sam and lowered himself to kiss her before guiding her head towards his groin. She palmed him gently first, then with her fingers firm around his shaft, she ran her tongue along the slit on the tip, licking it, until the first drop of pre-cum glistened over it. Then her mouth closed over the entire length of it, her tongue stroking the head with fast movements.

As Oliver pressed into her with growing speed, she sucked Edward's erection faster. The deeper Oliver's cock ploughed into her, the deeper she let Edward into her throat, his strong hand pressed her head down on him. They were now connected. Every powerful thrust of Oliver's hips meant Sam sucked Edward faster and harder.

Oliver sped up, losing control over himself. He was slamming now into Sam's behind, his fingers digging into the soft skin of her hips, as the release was approaching. He needed a couple of more thrusts, and he came first, exploding with pleasure inside of Sam. Oliver bent over, planting a kiss in between her shoulder-blades. Then he pulled out and leaned over the bed, and watched Sam and Edward as the two of them continued.

Edward shoved Sam's into her back, pressing her hard into the sheets, until her legs wrapped around his waist. His cock sank into the warm moisture between her legs, where Oliver's and her own juices mixed. Her throbbing walls closed and expanded around him. They both were close, and Edward felt satisfaction that it would be him to bring Sam over the edge, especially as Oliver would see that. He thrust hard and heard her whine. At the same time, her fingernails scratched his back, and he growled.

"Edward I..." she cried, and he felt her clenching, tightening in ecstasy around him.

His own orgasm followed soon. He came hard inside her, closing his eyes and filling her up with his semen. Now all their fluids mixed, glistening, as they trickled down along her inner thigh.

They collapsed next to Oliver, Sam kissed them both and purred:

"God, I love you... both."


	23. The Art of the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter contains an explicit scene.

The next morning sun rose bright and warm, entering through the windows without mercy. Edward reached to the nightstand to grab the porcelain jug with water, only to find out it was empty.

"I think we have drunk it all," Sam said, a hint of the sleepiness still resonating in her voice. Edward came up on his elbows and his eyes fell on the basin and the pitcher in the corner of the room.

"Oof, we used that last night, after..."

She suspended her tone playfully, and he smiled at her.

"I will draw some more from the well," Edward said, raised from the bed, and wrapped a sheet around his lap. Sam couldn't but admire his rippled abdominal muscles, thin hair trail running from his navel down his pubic bone, and the narrow line of his hips.

"We all appreciate that," a husky murmur came from Oliver's mouth, buried in her hair. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. The door shut behind Edward with a loud thump.

"I thought you were still asleep." She arched her back in a response to his fingers drawing lazy patterns over the silky skin of her stomach.

"I am."

Sam felt the hard pressure of his groin against her butt. Even if he claimed he was sleeping, his body was not. She closed her eyes, enjoying his warm embrace, and let her palm find his, gently guiding him towards her chest. He followed through.

Their enlaced fingers reached her breasts. He squeezed her palm, letting her lead him further around her hardening nipples, and the goosebumps ran down her arms. At the same time, Oliver's lips neared her neck and trailed lazy kisses along her skin towards her collarbone. She tilted her head to give him better access, and then she turned her face towards him.

"Good morning," she whispered, her breath caught in her throat, as he teased her nipple with his fingers. Oliver didn't answer, but his mouth searched for hers. His lips lingered for a long moment, tasting her tenderly, then he nibbled softly on her bottom lip, sucking on it and pulling it towards him. She parted her lips slightly, and he slid his tongue, letting it roam all around her mouth. The kiss left both of them breathless as they pulled apart.

Oliver lowered his face into her neck again, and his mouth traced her collarbone, to reach the space between her breasts, nuzzling her, biting gently into her satin flesh, eliciting a little moan from her. Sam closed her eyes under Oliver's touch, as he was getting bolder, his tongue flickering over her perky nipple, and his hand reaching between her inner thighs. She sighed, the warm sensation built inside of her. Her fingers entangled in Oliver's loose hair playfully, and she could no longer control the pants coming out of her mouth. Through the pounding heartbeat in her ears, she could barely hear as the door opened and closed behind Edward.

It didn't take long before he joined them in bed, with a rough grunt, embracing Sam's body from the other side. His skin was hot and smelt like tropical sunshine. He focused on her left breast, pinning its perky tip with his tongue, savouring it. The symmetry of both men licking and sucking her nipples at the same time was deliciously pleasurable, and her stomach clenched as the bolt of excitement run down her spine, leaving the juncture of her thighs tingling and throbbing.

Positioned flat on her back between Edward and Oliver, Sam stroked their hair and caressed their faces. The sensation of two mouths on her chest, hands sliding in between her thighs, spreading them wide open, slipping in between her moist folds, and circling around her delicate opening overwhelmed her. Two fingers entered her, sliding in and out, and deeper and deeper, in sync with wriggling of her hips, while another hand was rubbing her clit. She gave in to the sensual feeling, moaning loudly under the firm caress of the men she cared about, no longer able to tell them apart, but she didn't need to. She could only sense them and herself as one. The pleasure flooded her, bringing her to the verge of a climax. As it came, she cried out and a powerful orgasm shuddered her body.

Her head fell down on the pillows, her breath ragged, but gradually slowing down. Both of the men leaned into her and Edward was the first one to kiss her, while Oliver watched them. Then Sam's lips claimed his. Then both men took turns kissing her, and her palms slid down both of their stomachs, wrapping tightly around their hard cocks. She finally came out for air and let out an exhausted, but satisfied laugh.

"You want to go on?" she purred, still panting lightly.

She didn't have to ask. Edward positioned himself inside of her widespread legs and pulled her closer. He rubbed the tip of his cock against her opening, and her palm squeezed his hip, urging him to enter her with his full length.

She reached for Oliver.

"I want you in my mouth," she said, her palm tightening around his cock.

Oliver kneeled close to her face. His eyes locked with Sam when she flicked her tongue around the tip of his cock. Then her mouth closed around it, caressing it gently while her fingers ran along his shaft. Air hissed through his clenched teeth. Still holding his gaze, she took the entire length in and sucked, slowly at first, but soon enough it got deeper and faster.

Edward grabbed her hips and built up the speed and intensity of his thrusts. Every thick inch of him pounded into her, expanding her wet walls tightened around him. They both moaned when his cock slid inside of her again and again, hitting the deepest parts of her.

The three of them were panting and gasping, while the men build up the rhythm. Sam felt hands on her skin, caressing her breasts, thighs, and her pubic mound, every touch igniting her body even more than before.

She opened her mouth wider and Oliver shoved his cock deeper. She sucked him harder and faster, while her hand gently cupped his balls, and he let out a low moan. Her other hand reached down to rub her fingertips over her throbbing clit. As Edward's cock rammed into her again, Oliver thrust against the back of her throat, and a piercing sensation ran through her body.

Both men moved against her with the same speed and rhythm, pinning her with their throbbing cocks, and like before, the feeling of them being connected, and becoming one overwhelmed her. Her walls around Edward's shaft tighten and opened rapidly, and an excruciating impulse slashed through her, her pulse throbbing in her ears, her muscles twitching and clenching, and a muffled moan ripped out from her mouth.

Her pulsating, shuddering orgasm was still tearing her body, when she felt Edward's cock burying inside of her, and bursting with his hot semen, filling her up. In only a matter of seconds, she heard Oliver's heavy groan, and his cock pulsed in her throat. His load poured over her tongue, and she swallowed it to keep up with the flow, getting only a dash of its taste.

Letting out a relaxed smile, Oliver pulled out his cock from her mouth and grazed her cheek with the top of his palm. He collapsed close to her face, and claimed her lips in a deep kiss, tasting himself at her tongue. Edward joined them, wrapped his arm around Sam, and buried his face in her neck, letting them savour each other for a long moment.

* * *

"Can we stay here like this forever?" Sam purred, resting her face against Oliver's chest after they finally broke their kiss. He smiled at her. She was beautiful, yet the afterglow always made her even more gorgeous, with her tousled hair and pouty lips, raw after all the kissing and the gruffness of their stubble.

"Hmm, if we do not want to starve, I think we need to get down to the town, eventually," Edward said, his voice still hoarse, affected by the intense sensations they just shared.

Oliver cast both of them long, serious look. He hesitated for a moment, but he already took the decision to share the truth with Sam and Edward, and he wouldn't probably get a better opportunity. His mind was set on it, even if it meant destroying the mood.

"I have to tell both of you something," he paused, judging their reactions for a moment, but they still were recovering from the sensual bliss, "the information Vane told you, about the Navy planning to strike Nassau and erase the piracy, it is truth."

Edward raised his head and looked at Oliver, his expression turned thoughtful.

"Rogers is a former privateer. He is also a protege and a son-in-law of Admiral Whetstone, you probably have heard of him, he died last year. My father called him a friend if you can imagine that. Rogers is an active slave trader. And he has always been obsessed with pirates, almost like my father was," said Oliver and raised to get some water. Sam and Edward were listening to him in silence, but he noticed a frown forming on the pirate's forehead. After helping himself with a glass of water, he continued.

"Rogers first developed a plan to erase piracy in Madagascar. But he didn't get enough official support, especially not from East India Company. But with the support of my father and governor Hamilton, he built political alliances to implement his idea in Nassau, where the losses for the Crown and British merchants are more significant. 163 leading merchants from London and Bristol petitioned the king to support Roger's undertaking," he said, taking a break to take a sip of his water and got back to bed. His thumb grazed Sam's shoulder gently as he laid down back at her side. Then he continued.

"The king already signed off official orders. Rogers would be appointed governor and garrison commander of the Bahamas. It has to be signed off by the lords proprietor, but with the king supporting the mission… it is only a matter of time before he will arrive here. I believe he has already made many arrangements."

Oliver stopped here and gauged both Sam and Edward for reactions. She looked worried, and he could tell the pirate was processing what he just heard.

"How do you know so much, if the official commission is not signed yet?" Edward asked, his deep brown eyes scrutinised Oliver's face.

He took a deep breath before answering. It was still not easy, even though he was sure about telling them the truth.

"Because the Intrepid has been appointed to accompany Rogers. My father made sure of that."


End file.
